The Lost Girls: The Sequel
by ruxgluk422
Summary: Gabriel thought Shea was dead. But he finds the girl who's haunted him for years, and things are different for both of them. He won't let her go this time, but how can the head vampire and a mortal ever be together? COMPLETE.
1. Scenes From the Past

It took Gabriel Emerson years to get past the pain of losing Shea.

_You never forget your first love. _It may be a cliche, but then again, Gabe doubted anyone had experiences as unforgettable as his.

He'd done well at college. Gabe didn't have any interest in partying or girls while he was there, which freed up plenty of time to focus on his studies. His parents were proud to have a doctor in the family, even if he wasn't a practicing one, per se. His first years in school he'd spent much of his free time researching blood disorders and treatments. He knew Shea was dead, but it didn't stop his obsession. That obsession had led to a career in research. The preoccupation had lessened with time, but Gabe had continued with the field of study. It just made sense, seeing as he'd already spent so much time studying it.

The only thing that had finally drawn his mind away from the idea of a cure was the fact that he had nothing to research. Gabe knew that anything he tried to do would be fruitless when he didn't know exactly what he was fighting. The knowledge had angered him at first, but finally given way to acceptance. He knew the only reason he did this was to convince himself he could have helped her. Maybe it would bring him some closure. Either that, or he was a closet masochist who wanted to continue to punish himself. Neither option boded well for his sanity.

So by giving up his quest, he held onto some semblance of it. He now held a medical degree and was working on his residency. He went out, he dated, he had a life again. It just never failed that something would remind him of her. Which is why he didn't believe his own eyes.

Gabriel's memory was firmly implanted with thoughts of those days. Nights spent with Shea, and then finally, the night they took out the vampires. The last night he ever had with her. He had thought a thousand times of the things he should have said when she revealed she was a full vampire. He'd lost his chance. So now, as the girl with the ice blond hair danced in the middle of the nightclub, he thought he was seeing things. _Katja._

The small blond writhed to the loud techno music. A man of about 20 was pressed to her, although his moves were considerably stiffer. Gabe watched the pair intensely when the girl took the man by the hand, and led him toward the back.

Gabe shot up out of his chair without a word to his friends as to what he was doing. He followed the pair as quickly as he dared, watching them slip out of a back entrance. Quietly, he slid the door open just wide enough for him to see out of it. The door led to a dark alleyway, littered with trash. When Gabe's eyes adjusted, he spotted the pair kissing intensely against the side of the building. The girl turned the man so that he was pressed against the wall, and brought his head down to hers. They continued kissing, and then she moved her mouth to his ear and lower.

The man stiffened. Gabriel watched in fascinated horror as he struggled, then went limp. The tiny blond held the man up as if he weighed nothing, her mouth still at his neck. Gabe didn't want to believe it, but he knew what he was seeing. It really was Katja, the vampire who should be dead.

Before Katja let the man fall to the ground, Gabe closed the door softly and returned to his table. He abruptly told his friends he needed to go, without explaining why. It was to their credit that they could see not to ask any questions. Gabe's mind quickly formulated a plan. A plan that quite possibly would get him killed.

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The next night, Gabe felt like he'd gone to every nightclub, bar and dive in that town. As the night drew on, he was terrified she'd left town. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally found her, in much the same position as last night. This time, when she led her companion outside, Gabe followed much more quickly. The two had barely begun kissing when Gabe yanked the young man away from her. Katja's lips drew back in anger as her meal was pulled away. Gabriel looked the young man up and down. "Get out of here," he said menacingly. The man was frightened. He didn't know if this was a husband or a pimp, and the girl just looked angry, not afraid. "Hey man, I don't want any problems," he told Gabe. "Then you might want to move faster," Gabe replied. Without another word, the man ran off. Gabriel turned to face Katja, who obviously didn't quite recognize him yet. "Wonder if he has any idea what kind of a favor I just did him?" he asked her. "Should've done yourself one," Katja replied, moving toward him. Wrapping a hand around her throat, Gabe pressed her back up against the wall, yanking a toy water pistol from his pocket. "Remember these, Katja?" Gabriel asked mockingly. Katja's eyes widened. She finally recognized him. She struggled to move away from him, but Gabe kept the pistol aimed squarely at her face.

There was a little bit of irony in the fact that he was holding a woman hostage with a dime-store water gun, even more so that she was terrified of it.

But Katja remembered what those guns had held before. She knew better than to mess with one. "What do you want?" Katja asked fearfully. Gabe's eyes narrowed. "I think you know exactly what I want," Gabe replied. "How the hell did you survive? I saw you get staked. Did you do it? _Did you kill her?_" Gabe's voice grew louder as he grew more upset. Katja didn't reply. In warning, Gabriel shot a stream of water onto the brick wall beside her head. Katja hissed. He could see her debating her options. He tried another tactic. "Just because I'm talking to you alone, doesn't mean I am alone," he bluffed.

Katja's eyes widened. She didn't have any desire to take her chances with the whole crew again. Finally, she spoke. "Your idiot friends don't have the best aim. They took a lot out of me, though. I couldn't have done anything to Shea if I'd wanted to," she told him. Gabriel's heart sank. He'd wanted to believe she had, wanted to have a chance to avenge her, anything. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "Too weak, I guess. Not too weak to get yourself out of a burning building, nor to survive without any place to sleep out of the sun. You're lying," Gabe accused. He lifted the gun slightly and aimed it directly into her right eye. He was going to kill her, regardless of whether she'd killed Shea or not.

Katja could tell he was serious. She could take him down, even if she took a few strikes of holy water as well. But she'd definitely get hit at least once, and it would weaken her. Even if it wasn't enough to allow Gabe to kill her, the others wouldn't have a problem. Katja began to panic. "No! I swear! I couldn't do anything but sleep for weeks!" she cried. Gabe's anger was starting to overpower him. "Then HOW did you survive?" he demanded. Katja's mouth opened, and slammed back shut just as quickly. Gabe squeezed her throat tighter, fully prepared to kill her. But she was going to tell him which one of them survived. He was now convinced that one of them killed Shea, instead of Shea killing herself, as she'd once believed. Then suddenly, Katja's refusal to tell him made sense. Somebody had taken care of her, and they'd burned the cave and the mansion. But they hadn't killed Shea.

Shea was still alive.


	2. A View of the Dead

_Shea is going to kill me,_ Katja thought. Shea was always warning her about being more careful. _How was I supposed to be careful about that guy showing back up?_ she thought. Before he left her, Gabe had forced her to tell him where they stayed. Katja had gotten back to the boarded-up house they'd made theirs as quickly as she good, but Shea hadn't returned yet. The two of them usually went their own ways at night. Shea didn't feed nearly as often as Katja did, and she tended to stay out until she absolutely had to return. The pair also spent little time in the same place. Dawn was quickly approaching when Shea finally returned. Katja could feel exhaustion already creeping over her. Shea entered and headed down to the basement without a word when Katja called out to her. "Shea!" she said urgently. "I have to talk to you!" Shea looked at her tiredly. "Tell me on the way to bed," she said, making her way down the stairs. Katja followed nervously. There wasn't anything they could do at this point. They'd never make it anywhere before the sun rose.

"He's here. He knows where we are," Katja explained quickly. Shea's eyes widened in concern, then narrowed. "_Who_ knows where we are?" Shea could have never imagined the next word that came out of the girl's mouth.

"Gabriel."

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As Katja relayed the night's events to her, Shea's alarm quickly grew. She didn't want Gabe to know she was still alive. What was worse was the possibility of having him turn up here. She understood Katja's fear... the girl had never quite gotten over that night. David had set them up, so that he could get to the Emersons' home. However, when it came down to it, Shea couldn't let Katja be killed. The other girls, she'd never felt any attachment to. But despite David's plans, when Shea saw Katja get staked and realized the Frogs hadn't hit their mark, she couldn't go through with it. Considering she'd been planning to kill David anyway, another violation of his orders was a small matter.

The girls made plans to leave that night, the moment they woke up. Shea cursed the sun, angry that it kept her a prisoner in darkness. She hoped that they would be able to leave before Gabriel made an attempt to contact her. Shea presumed he would come early the next night, to meet her when she awoke. She presumed wrong.

At that moment, seeing the sun rising in the sky, Gabriel left his apartment. He still had the bike that he'd rebuilt when he was with Shea. He wanted answers, but even more so, he still wanted _her._ There wasn't any use denying it. He'd already switched shifts with another resident, so today (and tonight) would be free. His heart was pounding by the time he found the house Katja had said they were staying at. A part of him was terrified the vampire had lied, but he'd made a fairly intimidating impression on her, or so he thought. The girl was still scared enough that he didn't think she'd dare to lie. The place was locked up tight when he arrived. The neighborhood was mostly abandoned, so Gabe pushed his motorcycle to the back of the building. Once that task was completed, Gabriel turned his attentions to the back door. He finally had to kick it in, no easy feat considering his state of exhaustion. He'd been awake since the early morning hours of the previous day.

Gabriel searched the house thoroughly before he found the door to the basement. Opening it softly, he peered down into the darkness. He pulled a small flashlight from his pocket and made his way down the stairs. The first thing he noticed was Katja, asleep on a mattress across the room. Shining the light through the room, the beam came to rest on Shea's sleeping form. Turned away from him, Gabe couldn't be sure it was her. Gabe was scared it wasn't and scared it was. Treading lightly, he moved around the bed and shined the light on her face.

Shea didn't flinch in her sleep, even when the light stayed fixed on her face. Gabe fell to his knees in front of her. He wasn't sure how long he sat there staring at her, but when he moved toward her, his legs tingled as the blood returned to them. He moved a lock of her hair that had fallen in front of her face. Truth be told, he just wanted to touch her, to tell himself she was real.

Unable to help himself, Gabe pulled the blanket away from her. He laid on the bed beside her, and covered the both of them with the blanket. In this position, he could see her face to face. She hadn't changed a bit.

It struck Gabe that Shea was stuck at an age where she was now even younger than his sister, Lucy. Lucy was in college now, although she struggled to settle on a career. It was almost cruel that she was exactly the way he remembered her; it made a part of him think that he was either dreaming or gone mad. The basement was cold and damp, but Gabe knew that Shea wouldn't feel any of that. Not when she was asleep.

Softly, Gabe pressed a kiss to Shea's forehead. He knew this time might be all he had. There was no way to guess her reaction when she awoke. Trying not to wake her (although it's fairly difficult to rouse a sleeping vampire during the day), Gabe pulled the girl he'd thought dead into his arms. There wasn't anything else Gabriel could do now but sleep. And so he slept, holding Shea like he'd never let her go.


	3. Secrets Made of Truth or Lies

As the sun went down and Shea began to wake, she instantly felt the presence of someone there with her. Fully awake now, but unwilling to open her eyes, she tried to think of what to do. There was no denying what it felt like to be in his arms. Shea hadn't felt any sort of human contact outside of feeding since she'd been with Gabriel years ago.

"I know you're awake, Shea," she heard Gabe whisper. Startled, her eyes flew open and met his. He'd obviously grown more aware of a vampire's senses over the years. He'd managed to be here without waking her, and he'd managed to keep his breathing and pulse steady enough that she'd thought he was still sleeping. She could hear Katja waking nearby, heard the other vampire jump to her feet when she spotted Gabriel. As she heard Katja approach, Shea jerked upright and faced her friend. "No," Shea ordered. Katja's eyes widened. Katja was not Shea's protector, as Shea had never turned anyone. However, Shea had been there for Katja once many years ago, and Shea had saved her from the intentions of the hunters who had killed the others. Katja felt a loyalty to Shea, and would stand by her until she felt the debt was repaid. Katja narrowed her eyes at Gabe. As far as she was concerned, the man was a snack. She knew Shea would have her head if she killed him. For a moment, Katja almost considered it worth it. Katja did not take well to being intimidated.

Katja didn't say a word, but Shea could tell she wanted to rip Gabe apart. "Go, Katja," Shea ordered softly. "I can handle this." Katja looked torn. She listened to Shea's orders, but she was also concerned for her safety. Gabriel stood up. "If I'd wanted to stake either of you, I would have already. And I would have brought backup," he told Katja. Suddenly, Katja realized what Gabe was saying. There hadn't been anyone there with him last night. With a snarl, she flew up the stairs and headed out of the house.

Just like that, Shea and Gabriel found themselves alone. Shea rose up from the makeshift bed, and stood silently. "Look at me," Gabe commanded. Shea didn't move. Gabe crossed the space between them and grasped her upper arms, forcing her to face him. His eyes moved over her face, examining it, comparing it to his memory. Shea hadn't changed even the tiniest bit. Shea noticed that he had. Dark circles were traced below eyes starting to show the faintest of lines in the corners. The angles of his face were slightly more defined. His body was larger, more muscular. Before, he'd been a boy; now, Gabe was a man.

Gabriel ran his hand up her neck and along Shea's jaw before winding in her hair. He exhaled when Shea finally looked into his eyes. "I'm going to be so fucking pissed off at you in a moment," he said. "Just not this moment." Shea was shocked when Gabriel crushed his mouth to hers. But as he kissed her, Shea responded. Wrapping her arms around him, she returned the kiss with everything she had. _At least I have this moment,_ she thought to herself. Whatever came in the next, wouldn't be good.

Shea felt bereft when Gabriel broke the kiss. Gabriel pulled back and looked at her. To say he was pissed was no exaggeration. There was such fury rolling through Gabe at the moment that only the pain could keep him from snapping. "Why?" he asked. Shea looked sad, then stepped away. She sat on the rough stairs leading to above. It was hard to gather her thoughts; in fact, it was still hard to register that he was standing here. Gabriel walked over and knelt above her, bracing himself on his hands which he placed on either side of her. "I'm not going anywhere until you say something," he warned. Shea took a deep breath and started talking, but she didn't say what he expected.

"What did you do the next night?" Shea asked him. Gabe's brow furrowed in confusion, then he realized what she was speaking of. "I spent that night watching the only two places the girl I loved could have been burn to the ground. I watched her DIE!" Gabe spat out angrily. He grasped the side of Shea's head and forced her to look at him. "Do you know what that's like? To know that the person you love more than anyone else in the world is gone, and that you can't do a damn thing about it?"

"Yes," Shea replied simply. Gabe shoved himself up and stepped back, turning away from her. He ran his hand through his dark hair. "Why did you come there that night, Gabriel?" Shea asked. Gabe turned his head and looked at her. He hesitated a moment, then told her, "You know why I came back there." Shea stood and walked over to face him. "There is your answer, Gabe," she said, cupping his face in her small hands. Gabe stared at her intensely until he felt his eyes fill with tears. He turned away, not wanting Shea to see that, until he could regain some control over his emotions.

"Okay," Gabe replied. "I'm willing to buy that." Shea felt stung at his words. _He has every right not to trust me,_ she thought. "But you're not going to run away this time," Gabe warned her. He couldn't handle any more of this tonight. "I'm coming back tomorrow night. You're going to be here when I do," he said to Shea. Slowly, Shea nodded. Gabe was right. He deserved that. She couldn't keep running forever, and she wouldn't let him ruin his life chasing her if she did. Gabriel raised his hand and touched her cheek, then turned and went up the stairs.

From the basement, Shea heard the motor of Gabe's bike start, and smiled sadly.

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Katja may have left the two of them there, but she certainly hadn't gone far. When she saw Gabriel leave, she followed him. As he pulled up to his apartment building. Katja landed right in front of him. Gabe nearly fell over, motorcycle and all, before he recognized her. Gabriel turned it off and lower the kickstand. "Hello, Katja, wish I could say it was good to see you again," he said. Katja braced her hands on the handlebars. "You'd be wise to leave us be," she warned him. "Now why would I do that? I deserve a few answers," he replied. Katja's face distorted in front of him, and she said, "You deserve nothing. You got your happy little life and your happy little family back safe and sound. Which may not stay that way if you keep this up," she growled. "Now, now, Katja, calm down. I don't want to have to call out the squad again, do I?" Katja's face blanched, but she regrouped quickly. "Did I mention that the Frogs have gotten _really_ interested in the techniques involved in vampire hunting? Alan invested in a crossbow a few years back. He's actually a pretty good shot. Edgar went for swords, got some training. He's pretty preoccupied with the idea of beheading a vamp now," Gabe smirked. "In fact, the whole lot of them have gotten married, including my uncle and Laddie. Know what that means? Many little vampire hunters in training. The Frogs each have 3 kids, my uncle has 2, and Laddie just had his very first. So that makes nine up-and-comers, plus the six originals, and the four guys' wives. Oh, and Lucy's all grown up now too, we can add her in. Hell, even Grandma's still pretty damn spry." He knew Katja wasn't going to try anything with him. She wouldn't go against Shea for some reason.

Katja grew frightened, and tried a different tactic. "Do you really think she gave a damn about you? You don't even know how old she is! You were just an immature boy to her!" she spat out. "You were a means to an end. Shea wanted David dead." Gabe's grin wavered. Katja knew she'd hit him where it hurt. "You don't even know, do you?" she asked him. "Know _what?"_ Gabe replied. Katja giggled, almost insanely. "Shea was the first one David ever turned, Gabriel. Just like David was apparently the first one Max ever turned. Think about it. Think about what that _means,"_ Katja said gleefully. "Shea is the head vampire now."


	4. When a Dead Ex Returns, Take a Sick Day

Gabe paced his apartment, where he'd stormed in shock after Katja's announcement. _Shea? The head vampire?_ She'd neglected to mention _that_ little detail. And because she had, Katja had been able to plant that seed of doubt into Gabe's mind. Shea had seemed sincere, but then again... she might have had _centuries _to practice her acting techniques. Vampires were manipulative. Had she used him from the beginning?

If that was the case, why spare him? Why make him think she was dead? Something didn't add up. Katja could have been lying. _Yes!_ Gabe thought. The little vampire obviously didn't want him around, and would happily rip out his throat if not for Shea. He couldn't make sense of lies and truth. However, his own fear was what hurt the most. Gabe still loved her, he'd known he always would. What if his feelings were blinding him?

In either case, it led to a restless night for Gabe. He remembered the last night Shea had cost him sleep. He had replayed the night they destroyed David (well, the night Shea destroyed David) a thousand times in his head. Every single time, he found a new error that he convinced himself had led to losing her. He knew that David was too much of a threat to leave alive, that was one thing he didn't regret. David's thirst for vengeance would have cost them all eventually. But he should have stayed with her that night. He should have figured out a way for them to be together. He should have forced her to turn him again. Anything.

As he dragged himself in for his shift the next day, Gabriel was in a state his colleagues had never seen him in. Disheveled and short-tempered, most kept their distance. As he worked in the lab, the others noted his unwillingness to interact with any of them. Even Jack, his best friend, couldn't get through to him.

"Hey, Gabe, what's with you?" Jack asked him after noting his friend's surly demeanor. "Nothing. Just leave me be," Gabe said, trying to brush him off. Jack paused, but something was seriously wrong here. Gabe had been a bit of a loner when he first met him, but he'd lightened up over the years. The pair had even gone through med school together. Whatever was wrong, this was serious. Gabe had never been so deliberately rude or angry before. Jack took a seat on the stool beside him.

"I'm going to bug the shit out of you until you fess up. I've been told I can be pretty damn annoying. So why don't you just cut the crap?" Jack asked. He was grateful the two of them were the only ones in the lab at that moment, when Gabe suddenly jumped up from the microscope and kicked the stool he'd been sitting on. "I just spent the night speaking with my dead girlfriend, who isn't as dead as I originally thought. I thought she'd killed herself, and then she turns back up out of nowhere! So excuse the fuck out of me if I don't feel like shooting the shit with you or ANYBODY today!"

With that, Gabriel leaned over the counter and rested his head in his hands. Jack just stared, knowing his jaw was hanging. "The girl from high school?" he asked incredulously. Gabe had only once mentioned the girl, a time when Jack had finally got the guy to loosen up and hit the town with him. After a few months, Gabe had one too many drinks one night, and it had slipped out when Jack was badgering him. Jack had just gotten finished with a quip about Gabe learning to adapt to society, and had thrown in a comment about getting laid. It wasn't too long after that when it had slipped, and it wasn't much of a slip at that. All Gabe had said was that he'd had a serious relationship in high school, but the girl had died. He'd then clammed up and refused to say anything else. For Jack, many things suddenly made sense, and he'd lightened up on Gabriel ever since.

Jack was pretty dedicated talker, so if the situation had been any different, Gabe might have found his friend's shocked silence funny. His sense of humor was rather lacking at the moment. "Just go," Gabe said quietly. He picked up his stool and resumed his work. Jack wanted to say something, but the door opened and an ER intern walked in. "Do you have the results on Baker yet?" she asked. Gabe shuffled through the charts, checking the names. "I have a Thompson, a Meyers, a Patrick, a Davis, a Smith, and a Montgomery. I don't have anything for a Baker," he replied, not looking at the intern. "What do you mean? I brought it up here HOURS ago!" the girl said shrilly. Gabriel looked over at the girl, irritated. "I'm the only one in here. I've been here since five. Considering I've never seen you before, I'd have to say no, you didn't."

The girl's mouth opened then closed, and she narrowed her eyes. "Then I'm sure I gave it to one of your colleagues," she said snidely. "You're looking at my colleague. The only other person in this lab today is the supervisor, and she just got here an hour ago. If you handed off your samples to some random person, that's your own stupidity. Good luck explaining that to your resident," he told the girl rudely. The girl huffed and walked out.

Gabe turned back to his work as Jack tried to speak again. "How is it that she's not dead?" he asked. Gabe looked up from the scope but not at Jack. Then he sighed. "Long story. She wanted me to _think_ she was dead. That's all you're getting." Jack furrowed his brow. This was some of the craziest shit he'd heard in his life, and he barely knew any of the story. "So... if she would go to those lengths, which is, by the way, pretty fucked up, why hasn't she taken off now?"

Gabe froze. Inadvertently, his friend had answered his dilemma. Shea was a vampire. She could take off and be anywhere in the world in no time. But she hadn't. _So if she's still there tonight..._ Gabe allowed himself to hope. He had a hard time trusting Shea's words, after all, she did make him think she was dead. _Well, she is._ Or undead. There's no dictionaries for vampire girlfriend terms.

The door reopened and their supervisor walked into their lab, with an ER resident shortly behind. The supervisor looked annoyed, but before she could say anything, the doctor barked, "Where the hell is the Baker sample?" Gabe gritted his teeth. Jack winced. This was going to be ugly. "It's not here," Gabe bit out. The doctor scowled at Gabe and Jack, saying, "Can't you do anything right up here? I needed those test results hours ago. If you hadn't noticed, this is a hospital. People's lives tend to be at stake!"

That was it. "Listen, you asshole, your air-headed intern was already up here..." Gabe started to say. "I know that, how else would I know that you lost the sample?" the doctor cut him off. "Not exactly. Your intern handed the sample and paperwork to the first person she saw. She doesn't even know who it was or if they're even in this department. That fucking sample has never been in this damn lab, because apparently, the ER is full of morons who don't know the lab from their own assholes!"

Eyes widened, and his supervisor interjected, "That's enough. Emerson, get your things and take a few days to sort out whatever's been wrong with you all day. This isn't the place for it." Gabe pushed himself up from the stool and stormed out of the room. He didn't bother to take anything from his locker in the back. Which was unfortunate, for if he had, he would have had the pleasure of watching a pharmacy tech walk up with a chart and a few vials only moments later. "Hey, these got left behind by an intern who was getting some meds. We couldn't find out which intern it was, so I just brought it up here."

Also, he would have seen his supervisor lift a brow at the red-faced doctor, as Jack laughed hysterically from nearby.


	5. The Truth At All Costs

**AN: **_Short chapter this time, I apologize. The next one will be a long one to make up for it._

When Katja returned the previous night, Shea knew the girl had been up to something. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to get anything out of her. So Shea had fallen off to sleep worrying what the next night was going to hold. Until now, she hadn't regretted what she'd done to Gabriel. It had been for his own good; only if she was dead would he move on. The ploy wouldn't work a second time. If she disappeared, Gabe would spend the rest of his life looking for her and the answers he sought. The answers she didn't want to give him.

Shea awoke to find Gabriel sitting beside her, a water pistol in hand. He eyed her warily without saying a word. Katja awoke as well, and was shocked to see him sitting next to Shea. "What are you doing back here?" Katja snarled at him. Gabe pointed the gun at her and said flatly, "Out. It's the real deal this time. Don't push me." Katja had fallen for enough of Gabriel's bluffs. She launched herself at him and Gabe pulled the plastic trigger. The stream struck Katja in the chest, and she shrieked, falling to the ground. The blonde was regrouping for another attack when Shea gasped, "Enough! Katja, leave now!" Katja eyed both Shea and the pistol suspiciously. "I can take care of myself, Katja. You need to go. I'm not going to break up a holy water and fang fight," Shea said. Katja left without saying another word, but in her mind, she was thinking of the hell she was going to put that boy through before all was said and done.

Gabriel still hadn't spoken a word to Shea. He just rolled the water pistol in his hand quietly. The silence was disconcerting. "Say it," Shea commanded softly. "Say _what?_" Gabe replied, bitterness evident in his voice. "Whatever it is that you're thinking, that has you so angry," she replied.

The muscles in Gabriel's jaw flexed. Shea was entranced by the blue shadow over it; he obviously hadn't shaved. Before, he was so young, he didn't have to shave but every few days.

"I'm trying to work this out in my head. If you were just using me, then it makes no sense that you didn't just kill me and my family. Then, I wondered if maybe even vampires can demonstrate gratitude. After all, if it hadn't been for me and mine, you wouldn't be the head vampire, would you?" With that, Gabriel turned his head and looked at Shea. The fury in them made her flinch even as she gasped. "How do you know this?" she asked, even as she realized it herself. "_Katja,_" she cursed softly.

Gabe smiled, but it was more of a smirk. "Want to know what it feels like to find out that the person you loved, you _mourned,_ only used you? That they let you think they'd taken their own life because of you?" He pushed himself up and moved quickly over Shea. His hand came around her throat, and he pushed her into the mattress, his body pinning the rest of her. Then he laughed, a hollow, heartbroken sound. "Then again, I doubt your kind even know how to love," he sneered.

Shea's hands came up and grasp the wrist at her throat. With little effort, she shoved him off, flinging him against the wall. Gabriel lost his breath at the force of the impact, then he fell to the floor of the basement. "Guess I have my answer, don't I?" he spat out. He grimaced with pain as he tried to right himself.

"You don't know a damn thing!" Shea screamed at him, rising from the bed. "Do you think you _know_ me, little boy? You know nothing!

I had my reasons for doing what I did. Don't you _dare_ try to presume my motivations!" Shea was pacing now, flinging words like knives at Gabriel.

"I could have just left you wondering. I thought that if you thought I was dead, you'd move on with your life. I tried to give you your freedom, don't even deny that. _You're_ the one who came _here._ And you have no clue what it took for me to get the strength to destroy David. You come here, throwing accusations at me, but without me, some if not all of your family would be dead. You don't know what I had to go through to be able to do what I did!" Shea screamed.

Gabriel stood, albeit painfully, and moved towards her. He grasped her arms with his hands and looked at her, the anger replaced by pain. "Then TELL me!" he cried. "Dammit, Shea, if you ever cared at all, enough secrets! We're going to destroy ourselves otherwise. You know this!"

Shea looked away from him. Gabe pulled her into his arms tightly. "I held no secrets from you. After all this, you can't deny you owe me the same. Tell me. Tell me, Shea."


	6. The Human Conflict for Vampires

**_AN: _**_Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your support. Please read and review. _

"I never wanted this. I never asked for it," Shea began softly. Gabe watched her, trying not to make her more nervous.

"I grew up on a farm. My father was gone for a long time… the war. When he came back, he was different. By the time he started coming around, my mother died giving birth to my baby brother. When she was gone, so was he. There wasn't any way he was going to come back from that, not even for me. He moved us to Los Angeles, where he'd found a job. He didn't keep it for long. He didn't keep any job for long.

My father was a drunk. A mean, nasty one. I took off when I was barely eighteen. I ended up staying with a bunch of other kids my age, all of us just trying to keep a roof over our heads. That's when I met David.

David was charming, polite… everything your mother tells a girl she'll be lucky to find. He was charismatic enough to make you ignore any misgivings. David had money, looks, he knew people. He had everything anyone would want for themselves. I don't know if it was the fact that he had everything I ever wanted or if I just wanted some kindness and affection after so long… in any case, afterwards, I was only disgusted I hadn't seen the monster underneath. Everything was rather clear in retrospect.

David was Max's guardian. Max had turned David in a blood rage. That's when the hunger overcomes you and the monster or demon or whatever it is inside you takes over. You feed on the first person you see, be it man, woman, or child. It was the same thing that happened to Max. Max wasn't in the state of mind after it to understand the consequences of his actions. He turned David because a part of him rationalized that it was better than leaving him dead. It's the same reason Max ended up a vampire.

He regretted it when he saw David's response to his new abilities. David took to being a vampire with an almost religious fervor. He was damn zealot. He was obsessed with leaving behind his human attributes, and he hated the humanity that still existed within Max. David also wanted to sire a vampire himself… he wanted a companion.

I was nobody, I _had_ nobody. There wasn't a person in the world who would really miss me, or maybe even notice I was gone. I even kept my distance from my own roommates. I guess it didn't help my plight that David saw me as weak. Maybe I was. Max later told me that David thought that since my life as a human was so sad, I might be more likely to embrace life as a vampire. He was wrong."

"Wait… _Max?_" Gabe interjected incredulously. "Yes," Shea replied simply. "I'm getting there.

"David turned me before I even knew what he was. I awoke a vampire, without even knowing what vampires were. Like I did to you, I know. I wasn't able to handle it. I took off, tried to go back to my life. It didn't work. Within weeks I was kicked out by my roommates and on the streets. It was Max that brought me back. David was disgusted; he hadn't needed much to embrace being a vampire. He thought I'd be the same. I think a part of him still hoped that I'd become like him, but I never did.

Max is the one who convinced me to feed. It wasn't easy, but he found somebody, a man, who wasn't much of one. A lowlife, who would have ended up riding the lightning if he ever got caught. Actually, between the weakness, the hunger, and Max's rationalization, it didn't take much to get me to feed. I outlasted any vampire he'd ever seen going without feeding. Laddie and your parents included.

It was this point that made things with David become as horrible as they did. Max ended up the father I never had. What was worse, I held on to my humanity even more than Max. David _hated_ that. In his mind, I was his property and Max had taken me from him. As years went by, David turned others. Dwayne, I think, was the first. Paul and Marko came next, although I forget in which order. The three boys enjoyed killing as much as David, but I think it was because of David, not in spite of him. I think David knew this too; he was the leader and they followed. I think the only reason he kept them around was the fact that they also followed him in harassing me.

By then, we lived in Santa Carla. Max was growing more and more concerned with their behavior, especially David's. He finally decided to force me to move in with them in the cave, hoping I'd be either a calming influence or a placating factor for David. The problem wasn't my absence, however; it was who I was. I didn't have the nature of a killer. I wasn't the vampire David wanted me to be. I honestly think he was trying to destroy me emotionally to destroy my humanity. Instead, I left. I ran.

It wasn't until later that I found out what else had happened. Your mother was supposed to be my replacement. I think she reminded David of me. That was probably where he went wrong. Star was apparently just as stubborn about feeding as I was. Laddie was turned to keep her from fleeing as I had. It would be too hard to try to survive with a child vampire by herself. I didn't know what my leaving would do to Max."

Shea stopped for a moment and took a shaky breath. She still missed Max constantly. He was the only family she'd had since her mother. She still blamed herself for what happened.

"Max fell for your grandmother. Max had a family before he was turned, a perfect one, from what he told me. He had to leave them because he was made a vampire. He was afraid he'd hurt one of them. Max never got over giving them up.

In me, Max had a part of that back. He always told me how I reminded him of "His little Sally." I didn't realize what my leaving would do to him. It made him go a little mad, I think. When I left, I took away another part of the humanity he was clinging to. Your grandmother, Lucy, was the epitome of what a mother should be. Finding that these days is rare, to say the very least. He saw your father and uncle as the sons he'd left behind, who'd died so long before, somehow returned to him by fate. Your mother was enough like me to remind him of Sally, and with Laddie now added to the mix, not too much younger than Max's youngest, I think he snapped. He saw the lot of them as his perfect family. The family he'd never have to give up. From what David told me, and how well I knew Max, I know this is what happened.

It was clinging to this humanity that got Max killed. So do you see why I had to give you up? I can be a vampire and be humane. I don't have to torture my victims like David and the boys did. I can choose who I kill, and try to choose those I feel are the least likely to be any loss to humanity. But I can not be human. I will never be human again. If I had tried to hold onto you, it may have ended far worse. You wouldn't have stopped until you found a way to be with me, even if it meant being a vampire. You are too strongly connected to your family to do that. Eventually, I would have been forced to watch you do to yourself what Max did to himself. I can not do that.

My objective was never to be the head vampire. I knew it would be a _consequence_ of destroying David, but believe me, it was not my primary goal. Katja was the only one who knew. The other girls were too much like David, too loyal to him. Katja was loyal to me because I protected her from David after he created her. She was too human for him to find acceptable, and he may have even destroyed her. I kept that from happening. Needless to say, she wasn't fond of him either, and she and I served to help keep the other sane amongst them.

David brought me back that very night, after Max died. I was now his guardian. I hated him for it. David was obsessed with the thought of vengeance against all of you, but you were born before he ever got any plan into action. With David, it had to be a grand scheme. Quite honestly, I didn't give a damn about any of you. I never met any of you. A part of me was just as angry because they killed Max. I wasn't too blind to see, though, that a group that had already taken out one head vampire may be able to do it again."

"But you were the one that killed David," Gabe said, confused.

Shea looked at him through the corners of her eyes. "Exactly.

"It wasn't hard to see what Max saw in all of you. I felt it too. I ended up wanting the same thing Max did. A family. It started to do the same to me that it did to him. It was driving me insane. Simply put, I was David's protector. I was unable by virtue of being so to harm him. It was that _madness_ that gave me the strength to kill him. After he was gone, I knew that if one of them didn't kill me, then I had to go. Don't you see now? If I stay with you, if I am amongst your family, the possibilities will haunt me. A vampire can not be constantly at war with its nature. Since we can not give up the necessity of feeding, we must give up the human."

Gabe jumped up, staring hard down at Shea. "You speak of being humane in one breath but of denying your humanity in the other? Do you have any idea how little sense you're making?"

Shea stood quickly and confronted him. "No! I make perfect sense! It's the sensibilities of someone who has had to endure this for far longer than you could ever imagine! I do not have to be a monster, no, but I can't be a human! The farther you venture into the gray area, the harder it is to see where the line is drawn!

Do you understand it now, Gabriel? If we try to be together as we are, it will destroy me. If you try to be a vampire, it will destroy you. This can't work, Gabe. It just wasn't ever meant to be."


	7. My Girlfriend, the Guinea Pig

**_AN: _**_Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your support. Please read and review. _

Gabe ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. Shea almost smiled; he still did that. Then she quickly reprimanded herself.

It was hard enough to accept things as they were the last time. To be forced to do it again… Gabe didn't think he had it in him. He was just as obsessed as he had been. It wasn't surprising; he doubted he would have ever quit trying if it wasn't for the lack of…

Blood.

Gabe's heart jumped in excitement. He'd had to discontinue his research before because he didn't have anything to research. Gabe had looked for any information he could, from historical folk tales to modern blood diseases. It had all led to nothing. But now…

"Shea, I need you to come with me," Gabe said excitedly. _Maybe this time I can do it, find a cure,_ he thought. "Where?" Shea asked suspiciously. "To the hospital where I work. I need a sample of your blood," he stated, pulling her along by the arm. Shea jerked back, exclaiming, "Excuse me?"

Gabe turned back to her and framed her face in his hands. "I'm a doctor, Shea. I research blood disorders. I don't think I have to explain how my interest became piqued," he said. "I finally gave up on my research because I didn't have any blood to examine. With your blood, maybe I can develop a way to reverse it, a cure!"

Shea's heart sank. "Gabriel, you can't do this to yourself," she started to say. "I have to!" Gabe burst out. "Don't you understand? I _need_ this, Shea. I can't handle this, having you here again, without trying. There has to be a reason that we're both here, again, now!"

Shea sighed. She didn't believe there was some cosmic force pulling them back together. More like she should have been more careful. Katja should have been much more careful. But she didn't have the heart, as much as she hated to admit it, to deny him this. Nodding, she placed her hand in his.

Being back on Gabe's motorcycle, behind him like they'd rode so many years ago, was harder than she anticipated. It brought back the memories even more, no matter how she tried to push them down. Nostalgia is a bitch for bringing back emotions one has tried to deny. She was grateful when they finally reached the hospital.

Gabe led her in through the back, where the trucks came in. He didn't want to get spotted by anyone in the ER, which was the only other way they could have entered. Ducking off into a side room, Gabe started digging through shelves of scrubs and materials. "Here, throw these on," he ordered, tossing a set of scrubs to Shea. Donning a pair himself over his clothes, he then pulled Shea's hair up and secured it under a head covering. After that, he tied one over his own head. Shea looked at him questioningly. "I'm kind of on an involuntary leave of absence," he stated sheepishly. "Long story."

Exiting the closet, he led Shea through a series of corridors and to a set of elevators. Others were waiting at them as well, and Gabe was relieved to see he didn't recognize any of them. The plus side to working in the lab all day was that he didn't have to interact with many people. The lab was still open this time of night, but usually, there were very few people in there. The hospital itself was rather small. When they arrived at the correct floor, Gabe headed to the end of the hallway and glanced around, trying not to look suspicious. He didn't want security coming to check on him. He was relieved to see only Jack working in the lab.

Gabe entered the lab, Shea following behind him. Jack looked up, expecting an intern or nurse, but was shocked to see Gabe. "Gabe! Man, what are you doing here?" Jack exclaimed. "Keep your voice down. I don't want anyone to know I'm here," Gabe said softly. "Then you've got good timing. I'm the only one here tonight. I'm the only one here every night. For the next few weeks, actually. Solely for the fact that I'm your friend and you flipped out and left us short-staffed. Remind me to thank you for that," Jack replied.

"I'll owe you one," Gabe said wryly. "Listen, I need to use one of the lab rooms tonight. Can you keep anyone who shows up out of it?" he asked. "Uh, sure," Jack replied hesitatingly. Gabe nodded and led Shea to the back, opening a door for her. Suddenly, Jack grabbed his forearm. "Hey, I need to talk to you for a minute. Can you excuse us for a minute, miss?" he asked Shea, who nodded quietly. Gabe flipped on the light and closed the door with Shea inside. "What is it?" Gabe asked his friend impatiently. "What do you mean, what is it? What do you think I'm gonna ask? What's going on here?" Jack demanded.

Gabe sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was to make a bunch of explanations right now. Especially ones that made sense. "Remember the girl?" Gabe asked him. "The mysteriously reappearing, not-quite-dead one? Whoa, is that _her?_" Jack asked. "Yes," Gabe replied abruptly. "That's her. She's not dead. But she is sick. So I need time to try to figure this out. I need you to trust me."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Don't you think you should take her to a regular doctor? I mean, it's probably not very healthy for you if you take this all on yourself," he told him. Gabe sighed. "She won't go," he said, which was the truth, if not all it. "She says there's nothing that can be done. I need to do this, Jack." Slowly, Jack nodded. He didn't like this, but then again, he really didn't like what had been happening to his friend the past few days. Jack was trying to piece together the story in his own mind. Right now, he'd built up the idea that the girl was sick, and had somehow faked her death or convinced Gabe she was dead because she wasn't going to make it. It was some sort of slow illness or something that would hit all of a sudden, because that girl looked perfectly healthy to him, if a little pale. Gabe somehow found out she was alive, and was now determined to defy the odds or something.

Jack shook his head. It didn't make much sense, but then again, nothing about Gabe was making much sense lately.

Gabe entered the room to find Shea studying the various equipment. Motioning to a chair for her to sit in, he opened a drawer and pulled out something Shea didn't recognize. Then again, it had been more than a half a century since she'd been to the doctor. Gabe pulled up her sleeve and tied a tourniquet around her upper arm. He then began trying to find an artery, but to no avail. He couldn't even find a small vein. "I haven't fed in a while," Shea explained. Gabe laid his head down on the desk near him in frustration. Then, he shot back up. "Hold on," he told her, and jogged out of the room.

Jack thought it was weird when he saw his friend run across the hall into the blood bank storage fridge. It became beyond weird when Gabe returned carrying a few pints of blood, then re-entered the back room and closed the door. _What the hell is he doing back there?_ Jack thought. Although he almost felt guilty, he did get a little excited when a nurse approached with a sample from the ER. A sample which the results of were needed immediately. A sample which could only be tested in the machine in the back room.

Gabe handed Shea the bags of blood. She eyed them warily, the snickered. "Vampire fast food," she said, earning a grin from Gabe. "And just as cold as any drive-thru burger could be," he replied. "Sorry." Shea shrugged and picked up the first bag. Looking up at Gabe, she asked, "Um, could you turn around, or something?" She didn't want Gabe to see her vamped out. He seemed to understand this, and turned without a word. Shea transformed, and bit into the first bag. Gabe was right, the blood was cold. She hadn't fed in long enough that she could handle it, along with the fact that the blood wasn't terribly fresh. She finished the first bag and then the second, and was halfway through the third when the door opened.

Jack froze when he saw the scene in front of him. Gabe was facing him, eyes wide open in shock, and he jerked around to see what Jack had seen of Shea. Jack had seen everything. Namely, his buddy's girlfriend, formerly thought dead, her features distorted as she sucked on a bag of blood. Jack tried to turn and run at the same time, and ended up falling to the floor. He flipped over and started to do some odd combination of running and crawling out of the room. Before he got anywhere, Gabe grabbed him by the back of his lab coat, dragging him back into the room and slamming the door. Shea was standing by this point, her features back to normal as she removed the tourniquet.

Jack's eyes jerked back and forth between the pair. "What's going on here? What the fuck is happening?" he asked, his breathing heavy and panicked. Gabe looked down and picked up the sample and chart Jack had dropped. "Sit, Jack. This is going to take a while to explain." He said. Jack wouldn't sit. "What the hell happened to her face? I saw that Gabe, I know I did! She was sucking blood out of the bag! What kind of sick fucking shit did you get into?"

Gabe didn't reply, as he didn't really know how to begin. Instead, he looked at the chart in his hands and started preparing the sample for testing. "Jack, this is Shea. Shea, this is Jack. Shea is a vampire, Jack. Not really a blood disease, so to speak, but I didn't think you could handle it. She's the reason I started researching blood disorders. She faked her death so that I wouldn't try to find her. I did anyway. So now I'm going to try to find a way to cure her."

Jack blinked. His friend really had gone completely insane. "Okay, Gabe, let's talk about this. Think about it. Vampires aren't real." Shea interrupted him. "I beg to differ," she said. Quickly, her face vamped out and returned to normal again. Jack sat down quickly. "Don't worry. I'm not going to eat you for dinner or anything. Gabe is convinced he can fix this, and I can't seem to convince him otherwise. So, here I am. It's a lot to accept, I know. Vampires are real, I am one, and Gabe is convinced he can undo that fact. Believe it or not, you have nothing to fear from me."

Gabe finished preparing the sample and got the testing underway. "If you can wrap your mind around it, I could use your help," he told Jack. Jack was still shaken, but didn't really want to refuse. "Uh… sure," he replied. "I need a blood sample," Gabe informed him, nodding his head at Shea. Jack swallowed. "I'm, uh, I'm not too comfortable with sticking the pointy object into your vampire girlfriend, Gabe. I don't think I want to piss her off. I saw the fangs, dude." Gabe snickered. "Sorry. I guess I'm too used to it. Get me a few specimen tubes, then, would you? Your sample's already running." Jack hadn't even noticed what Gabe was doing.

Gabe wrapped the tourniquet around her arm and was pleased to find the arteries now present. He wiped her arm with an alcohol swab, and Shea giggled. "What's so funny?" Gabe asked. "I don't really need to worry about the dangers of infection, do I?" she informed him. Gabe laughed. "Guess not. Sorry. It's a habit." He uncapped the needle and prepared to stick her, and Shea grimaced and turned away. Jack saw this, and commented, "You're a vampire and you're afraid of a little needle?" Shea shot him a dirty look and stated, "You know what? When I was little, we had to get smallpox vaccines. Try getting one of those and see if you like needles." Jack's eyes widened. "A smallpox vaccine? How old are you?" he asked. Shea's face scrunched up in thought for a moment. She hadn't really kept track over the years. "I'm going on eighty," she informed him. Jack's eyebrows lifted and he started studying her face intensely. Fear was weighed against curiosity and lost. Gabe snickered, and said to Shea as he pulled the needle out, "Wow. I had no idea you were _that_ old," he quipped, earning a dirty look from Shea. Jack couldn't help himself. "Must be depressing to realize you look a good ten years older than your geriatric girlfriend."


	8. What You've Dreamt About for Years

_**AN: **Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your support. Please read and review. _

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS RATED MATURE. IT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR SOME READERS AND MAY BE CONSIDERED OFFENSIVE. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF SEX AND SEXUALITY. DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 OR MAY BE OFFENDED BY THIS MATERIAL.**

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The night progressed rather boringly for Shea. With the samples in hand, Jack and Gabe seemed to be running them through every machine in the entire lab. She could only sit and watch as Gabe grew more frustrated. "They're all coming back the same," Jack said softly to his friend. Gabe knew this. His heart sank a little further each time they read the results. "Maybe it's where she just fed. It could be that those blood samples are throwing off hers…" he trailed off, digging through paperwork. "Gabe, these samples aren't showing anything. These results are the same results we'd get on the blood from an autopsy. There's nothing alive in them," Jack stated.

"Don't you think I see that? I'm not fucking blind!" Gabe replied forcefully. His anger was growing along with the sense of helplessness. Shea only looked at him helplessly. She'd figured it would come to something like this. To see Gabe now, she remembered why she'd hoped never to see him again. It was cruel, for him to go through all of this all over again. It hard been had enough for him when he thought her dead. Now, she knew he'd have to endure it again, only this time knowing she was out there somewhere. She hated herself in that moment. Shea hated that she'd ever let him get entangled in David's revenge scheme. The part of her that was still rational said that David would have never given up on his quest, but there were so many possibilities haunting her. What might have happened if she'd tried to face David on her own, if she'd warned the Emersons he was gunning for them. Anything.

Gabe turned and spoke to her, distracting Shea from her thoughts. "Do you think you can handle giving a larger sample?" he asked her. "I can handle any size of a sample. It's getting the blood that will be a problem. After a certain point, my veins will shrink down too much," Shea replied. Gabe nodded and started gathering the necessary supplies. This time, though, instead of the small specimen vials, he grabbed a few of the blood donor specimen bags to fill. He managed to get two bags full before the artery started running dry. "Dammit," he whispered, trying to maneuver the needle to keep the blood going. "If I have more blood, you can get more out of the vein." Jack overheard this and nodded, going over to the storage area to grab more bags. As he handed it to her, he froze. "Wait a second," he said. Pulling a hypodermic syringe from a shelf, he stabbed the bag and drew out a small sample. "What are you doing?" asked Gabe. "I'm drawing a sample before she drinks it to compare it to what you draw after she drinks it," Jack replied. "Good thinking," Gabe replied. Jack handed the bag to Shea, ripping open a corner for her, then recapped the syringe and labeled it. He did the same for the other five bags he'd brought. Shea grinned at his ingenuity. If she'd thought of that, she wouldn't have had to turn in order to pierce the bag with her fangs. If Jack had walked in on that, he'd have figured Gabe had just gotten caught up in some creepy alternate lifestyle.

Shea had finished the bag before the bag Gabe was using started to fill. Jack handed him a syringe. "Take a sample from the tube before she drinks the next, then do that after each bag. That might give us a more accurate reading." Gabe nodded and proceeded as Jack said. The process took more time than the earlier procedure had, but eventually, they finished and had each syringe labeled. Suddenly, Jack's watch started beeping. "Sorry, it's still set for when I had to get up for the early shift," he said. "What time is it?" Gabe asked in horror. "It's not daylight yet," Shea spoke up. "I can tell when daylight approaches." Gabe shook his head. "That's not what I'm worried about. When does the first shift get here?" he asked Jack. Jack looked down at his watch. "You've still got about an hour. Oh, shit," he exclaimed. "Supervisor on morning shift today. She always comes in early." Gabe looked around in frustration. He could only examine the samples here, and he certainly couldn't store them back in the blood bank. If they got mixed up, some unfortunate person would end up half-vampire in the morning. "What the hell are we supposed to do with these?" he asked Jack worriedly. Jack looked around, trying to think of a solution. He crossed over to the small employee fridge they had in there, and pulled out his lunch box. "I can't leave them in there!" Gabe exclaimed. Jack shook his head. Unzipping the bag, he pulled out the remaining cans of soda he had in there and set them aside. "Pack them in the dry ice in here, then take them home and keep them in your own fridge."

Gabe moved to get the dry ice. This could work. Packing up the specimens, he thanked Jack for his help and told him he'd see him the next night. He and Shea were almost at the elevators when they heard it ding. Pulling Shea into a small alcove against him, they managed to escape the eye of his supervisor. She went to the front desk and started going through some papers. Gabe panicked. The woman still had full view of the elevators, and the stairs were beyond the desk where she stood. Gabe and Shea stood there, hidden, for what seemed like hours. Soon, the rest of the shift would arrive and then it would be impossible to get out of there without being seen. Sliding his cell phone out of his pocket, Gabe sent a text to Jack, telling him of their precarious position. Only a minute or so later, Gabe heard a crash in the back room, followed by the running steps of the supervisor to see what had occurred. Gabe grinned. He didn't know what Jack had pulled, but it had worked. Pressing the button for the elevator, Gabe and Shea quickly made their exit.

When they finally emerged from the hospital, Gabe sent a text to Jack letting him know they were clear. Jack wrote back that Gabe owed him again, as he'd just engineered a spectacular crash from a stool into a loaded cart under the guise of changing a flickering light bulb. Gabe smirked and started up the bike.

Shea was surprised and confused when they stopped at an apartment building. "Where are we?" she asked him. "My place," Gabe replied. "You're staying with me." Shea looked at him angrily. "That's not a good idea," she said. "Good idea or not, you're stuck now. The sun's about to rise, and you won't make it back in time. Also, I find I prefer to keep an eye on you," he told her. Shea frowned, but he was right. She couldn't even fly right now; the sun would come up and strike her if she was high, but she couldn't fly low without risking being seen. Without a word, she followed Gabe up the stairs and inside.

Once inside, Gabe stored the blood in the fridge and led Shea into his bedroom. He pulled the blinds to the one small window, and threw an extra blanket on it for good measure. "I don't have any duct tape this time, but that should take care of any light," he told her. Flicking on a lamp beside his bed, Gabe yanked back the covers. Shea was starting to feel drowsy, but the sun had to be fully in the sky before she absolutely had to go to sleep. She could actually stay awake for up to an hour after she could no longer venture outside. Actually, she could technically stay awake the whole day, although it wasn't easy.

Shea watched in shock as Gabe kicked off his sneaker and pulled off his socks. He pulled both the scrub shirt and his own over his head, leaving his chest bare. Shea stared at him, surprised at the changes that time had brought. Then again, Gabe had actually aged, which was something she was unable to do. Gabe really was in the prime of his life. When he was a teenager, Gabe had been muscled and fit, but it was the muscular build of an athletic youth. Now, as Shea took in the defined muscles in his abs and chest, his large biceps, she saw what difference a few years could make. Fleetingly, she wondered what she would have looked like at his age. As Shea was lost in her thoughts, she didn't pay attention to Gabe pulling off the scrub pants or his belt. Her attention was caught on the changes in his body until he pulled her against him. His hands slid under the scrubs and pulled them off, leaving her in her regular clothing. "What are you doing?" Shea asked, startled when Gabe pressed her against his chest. "What I've wanted to for about eight years. What I thought I couldn't do ever again," Gabe replied, and kissed her. Shea wasn't prepared for this, either. Gabe mourned her, yes, but he'd also tried to move on with his life as best he could. He hadn't been celibate, and the experience showed. Whereas his kisses had before been soft but intense, this was powerful. Masterful. Shea knew that she was going to regret this. She was getting too close again, and this time, she might not be able to move on like before. But as Gabe continued to kiss her, her defenses wore down and were replaced by the heat his mouth was generating. She'd lost the cap a long while ago, and Gabe's hands were busy running through her black hair. Once, he had stroked it, his fingers running through it almost reverently. Now, his hand bunched into it, pulling it, drawing her head back so that he could kiss her more intensely.

Gabe's hands slid under her shirt and bra, and her breasts filled his hands. Nipping at her lower lip, Gabe grasped at her breasts roughly, and Shea gasped. Gabe pulled both the shirt and the bra over her head in one motion, and bent his head down. When his lips first drew the peak into his mouth, Shea's hands moved into his hair and she sighed. One hand pinching the other tip, Shea moaned as his teeth bit down gently. Gabe moved back up and kissed her again, his hands unfastening the fly of her pants. He started to back her up towards the bed, finally lifting her up and dropping her on top of it. Gabe hooked his fingers into the top of her jeans and panties, pulling the both down her body. He moved over her, Shea's legs coming to wrap around his waist. He could feel her through his jeans, and he almost lost all control right there. Instead, he returned his attention to her breasts. Shea gasped when Gabe moved lower, pressing kisses along her belly and on her thighs. Then, he lifted her legs over his shoulders and pressed his mouth to her. Shea's hips bucked up under the attention of his tongue, teeth, and fingers. Between the soft swipes of his tongue, the suction of his lips, and the nips of his teeth, it wasn't long before Shea was screaming as she went over the edge. With a grin, Gabe pulled away and stood, unfastening his pants and letting them drop to the floor. He moved on top of her yet again, and Shea reached down and took him in her hand, moving over his shaft. Gabe moaned and pumped softly into her hand. Soon, he drew her hand away and positioned himself between her spread thighs. His hands came up, gently pinning hers to the sheets above her head, as he thrust inside of her. Shea gasped with the feeling of it. The heavy thrust and drag, the movement of her hips against him, and Gabe again felt his control waning. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rolled, bringing her over top of him. Shea took a moment to adjust to this new position, and smiled. Her movements were slower than his, but a steady rhythm. Gabe watched her body moving over him, her breasts bouncing, the look of ecstasy on her face. His hand covered her belly and he pressed his thumb to her cleft, watching her jerk at the sensation. Before long, Shea was crying out her release again. Gabe, however, wasn't done yet. He pressed her down onto her belly, lifting her hips up. Shea raised herself up on her hands to turn and look at him behind her. Gabe's eyes didn't leave hers as he slowly sank in, his hips pressed against her soft bottom. His hands guided the movements of her hips, and their eyes soon closed in pleasure. Gabe's thrusts increased and intensified, and he leaned over her, bracing a hand on the bed for support. The headboard slammed against the wall with the intensity. Finally, Shea's hands reached behind her, squeezing his thigh as she came again, this time, with Gabe roaring his own orgasm.

Exhausted, Gabe slumped over Shea's back, before he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her down to the bed with him. Her back against his chest, one large hand grasping a full pale breast, they fell to sleep as the sun rose in the sky outside.


	9. Remembering Max

_**AN: **Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your support. Please read and review. _

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS RATED MATURE. IT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR SOME READERS AND MAY BE CONSIDERED OFFENSIVE. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF SEX AND SEXUALITY. DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 OR MAY BE OFFENDED BY THIS MATERIAL.**

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Surprisingly, it was Shea and not Gabriel who awoke first that evening. In fact, Shea opened her eyes to find that somehow, she'd either shifted in her sleep or Gabe had pulled her, because she now lay sprawled out across his body. It felt wonderful. Shea hated that. The line had been crossed, and somehow, this was going to end up ugly. Trying not to disturb him, she pulled herself off of Gabe and headed to the bathroom.

Vampires don't sweat or really even get dirty, for that matter. In fact, the only scent that emanated from a vampire was usually perfume, the mustiness of old clothes, or sometimes the blood and/or sweat of a victim. But baths were one of the human things that Shea refused to give up. She loved fragrances and soaps and fruity shampoos. Seeing as her father had drank away almost every dollar he ever earned, there had never been any sweet-smelling toiletries or anything of that sort. A memory drifted to mind as she dug around under Gabe's sink.

Shea had been a vampire for only a few years at the time, and lived with Max. When you're a vampire, the nights blend into one another and the concept of time is easily lost. Max couldn't tell what month it was sometimes, only guessing by the season. Yet, he never once forgot Shea's birthday. She had told him her first birthday as a vampire that they now mattered even less than they had before. That night, a cake miraculously appeared in the small apartment, which David had jeered at. Shea would burn out the candles; all eighteen of them, and the cake remained there for a few days until it was thrown out. Max would present a gaily wrapped present, which he seemed even more excited about than Shea. Every year after that, there would be a cake and a present, always with eighteen candles.

That particular year, Max had given Shea a bag full of soaps and perfumes, no doubt picked out by a saleslady before the store closed. They were wonderful, and Shea had been so delighted that Max made sure that from that point on she always had those things. Even on her own, she managed to procure them. By now, Shea thought wryly, she'd probably worn every scent ever made at some point or another.

Unfortunately, Gabriel was not nearly so inclined. Shea finally found a fresh-scented bar of soap, and turned the hot water on. Shea was already soaped up when she heard the door open. Gabe walked in, having been woken by the sound of the shower. He pulled back the curtain and grinned. Without a word, he stepped into the shower with Shea and turned her away from him. Taking the washcloth from her, he ran it over her back, kissing and nibbling at her neck.

Shea didn't want to enjoy it, but she did. She couldn't help herself. She turned and took the washcloth back, and began soaping Gabe up in return. She had to kneel in order to reach his long legs, and seeing her in that position, Gabe's cock twitched. Shea looked up at him, slightly surprised, and then took the shaft in her hand. Her hand moved back and forth and the other ran the washcloth along his legs. When Gabe's head tipped back in ecstasy, Shea shifted and took him into her mouth. With a gasp, Gabe's head jerked down as he watched her. Shea moved her head back and forth, her tongue swirling around him. Gabe's hand tangled in her hair as his hips gently pumped in time with her rhythm.

Finally, Gabe found himself close to the brink. Tightening his grip on her wet locks, he gently pulled her up to face him. He pushed her against the wall of the shower as his hand slid up between her thighs. Gabe's fingers spread her flesh, diving inside of her. She was already wet and ready for him, and Gabe couldn't wait any longer. Gabe slid his forearms under Shea's thighs and lifted her, leaving her pressed firmly to the wall and her legs spread wide for him. Pressing her mouth to his, Shea reached down and guided his hard cock to her, positioning him at her throbbing entrance. With one quick, hard, thrust, Gabe embedded himself deep inside Shea. He began a quick, forceful pace, the water helping their bodies slide against each other. Before long, they reached their climax, gasping underneath the steady stream of hot water.

Slowly, Gabe lowered Shea back down to her feet. They struggled to regain their strength. Gabe kissed Shea softly and told her, "As much as I'd like to stay here and do this all night, we need to get back to the lab." He helped her out of the shower and wrapped her in a towel before wrapping one around himself. He didn't notice how Shea's face fell at his words. Gabe wasn't going to give up on this, no matter how hopeless his quest for a cure was.


	10. Worst Case Scenario

_**AN:** Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your support. Please read and review._

That night at the hospital, and the nights following, Gabe and Jack seemed to be almost obsessed with the idea of resurrecting Shea. She had to admit, a part of her hoped they would be successful. Her life was taken from her, a choice she'd never made for herself. The idea of starting again, however, was too much to truly allow herself to hope for.

Shea thought of her life before, how sad it had been. She thought of all the times she'd wished for a new one. David had taught her to be careful what she wished for. Shea tried to make the best of her existence, tried to make her pseudo life easier to live. It was that desire that gave her the strength to defy David. She'd made a plan without knowing if she'd truly be able to go through with it, if she'd have the strength. Gabriel had been her strength when she needed it.

As the boys talked to each other, speaking in medical terminology she didn't understand, Shea's thoughts drifted back to her mother. She'd had a wonderful mother. Perhaps it was the loss of May O'Keefe and the brother she'd never gotten to know that had made Shea unwilling to have children. When she was alive, she was sure she'd never want to have a child of her own. A part of her wondered if she would have ever changed her mind, but she doubted it. It was one of the few things she didn't feel like she was missing out on as a vampire.

Jack had some training in emergency medicine, before he decided he didn't have the reflexes for it. It was Jack who first came up with the idea of combining blood restoration with life-saving techniques. However, the process would be complicated. The weeks had gone on, and Gabriel returned to work. Somehow, he and Jack had managed to ensure that they both had night shifts only, and usually together. Few of the other technicians argued with their sudden luck. It was Jack who'd managed to alleviate suspicion with their supervisor as well. He'd concocted a story about the pair of them becoming a little too out of control with their partying, and that they'd decided that a night schedule would help them resist the temptation. The nights were slow, and the supervisor was ready to believe any excuse for Gabe's behavior. Unfortunately, they were running out of time. The pair of them realized that the blood bank they were ripping off would be noticed by others in the hospital. If they didn't just get caught red-handed first.

So far, they'd discovered that Shea's blood would mingle with the actual blood she drank shortly after feeding. It explained the rush she got with feeding. Feeding replenished her body with a sudden, short-lived rush of hormones, nutrients, and other things it no longer produced. It had now been almost a month of experimenting and testing. They'd reached a point where it was either stop and give up, or move to the next level.

Gabe was unwilling to go there. He was terrified that any more would destroy Shea. However, it was Shea who demanded they continue. If she died, she rationalized, she wouldn't really be losing anything but a partial existence. However, she knew that if she didn't do this, that a part of her would always wonder what might have happened, just as she wondered about her life before.

So it began. A regimen of testing drugs on her for weeks until they reached the point they now had. Her body was beginning to grow weak, unable to heal fully from everything they were doing. Actually, at this point, Gabriel no longer had the will to continue. He stayed with Shea as Jack worked, because he couldn't bring herself to do these things that hurt her so much. She'd been injected with adrenaline to see how her body would react. She'd been shocked. They'd managed to sneak her into all sorts of scans, to observe how her body reacted. With the infusion of new blood, her body briefly reacted similar to a living person. The adrenaline and the shocks caused her heart to beat again, but never more than a few beats. With the research he'd done, and the observations he'd made, Jack had made a hypothesis.

"Shea, can you survive drained of blood?" Jack asked, looking over charts. Shea seemed startled by the question. "Heavily drained, yes, but I'm not sure how long. Vampires have had major arteries cut, and survived. They only time I ever saw it, another vampire gave him some of his own blood to replenish it, then found a victim rather quickly. It takes a long time to recover, though."

Jack's brow furrowed. "What the hell are you about?" Gabe demanded, frightened by the chain of thought. Jack pursed his lips, and then responded.

"When we give her fresh blood, when we shock her, hell, when we employ _any_ life-saving measures, she responds as a human would. Forced back to life for a moment, but no more. As a vampire, she's much stronger. I'm thinking that maybe, if we try it all, along with replacing her blood, that we might be able to do this."

Gabe shook his head. "No. It will kill her. It's too much. Besides, if it does turn her human again, who's to say she won't die from the shock immediately afterwards?" he asked angrily. Jack looked saddened. "Gabe… we've tried everything else. This is it. We either stop now, or we do this," he said.

Gabe wasn't having this. He wasn't taking this risk. Not with Shea. However, it was Shea who made the decision for him. "Do it, Jack," she said. Gabe's head jerked to her, and he looked horrified. "I might die, yes. But if you think about it, I'm already dead. I want to see this through, Gabriel. I already have too many 'what ifs' in my life. I don't need another one," she said.

He couldn't think of an argument that would dissuade her. Before long, Shea had needles in multiple arteries, machines ready to go. Gabe clutched her hand as Jack started drawing out the blood. It took a considerable amount of time, and the change in her body was sickening. Gabe watched as her features drew up, Shea literally withering before him. It was obvious she was in a considerable amount of pain, and finally, she closed her eyes, not moving. She didn't just look dead; she looked as if she'd been dead for months, maybe even years. Vaguely, she almost resembled a mummy, unwrapped after millennia in some tomb. Gabe began to panic. "Jack, she needs blood. Now, Jack!" Jack was already working at removing the bags of drained blood and replacing them with fresh blood. Gabe jumped up and began to help him. Between the pair, it seemed only seconds before Shea had blood pumping back into her, the drips opened all the way.

They'd hooked her to multiple instruments before they'd began, and now, even the EEG wasn't showing any brain activity. Suddenly, the monitor beeped, and activity displayed. Jack pulled out a large syringe, and waited. As the blood flowed into her body, the heart monitor showed a twitch of activity, the muscle suddenly reviving for that brief moment. The second he saw it, Jack plunged the needle into her chest, through the sternum and straight into the muscle. With the epinephrine, the activity continued. Jack and Gabe watched in shock as the heart monitor showed her heart beating once, twice, six times before ceasing again. Jack pressed the paddles to her chest and sent a jolt of electricity to her heart. The beating started again. Every time the muscle stopped, Jack shocked it again. Suddenly, Shea awoke, staring up at them. She gasped, the shock of feeling her heart beating startling her. It stopped again. Jack looked at her in horror, and she nodded, gripping the sides of the gurney. Jack placed the paddles to her again. Again and again they did this, Gabe taking over at one point for Jack to administer another shot. They went through every emergency procedure possible, until finally, Shea blocked Jack from putting the paddles to her again. Shea rolled to her side, her features strained from the pain. Her brow protruded and then returned before she fully vamped out. Shea curled up into the fetal position, trying to escape the agony. The heart monitor continued beeping steadily, and Gabe and Jack began to hope when they heard Shea draw a deep breath into her lungs. The shock was almost too much for her. She could make herself breathe, yes, but it wasn't necessary. Air went in but was never absorbed by her body. This time, it was. Shea lay there, coughing, choking, as her body did things it hadn't done in years.

Still choking, still hurting, Shea turned to Gabriel and smiled weakly. Gabe looked at her in shock, and then pulled her close to him, kissing the top of her head. Jack let out a whoop and threw his hands into the air.

Tears ran down both their faces and Shea and Gabriel looked at each other, overjoyed. The steady beep of the heart monitor kept going behind them. Suddenly, Shea stopped smiling, her eyes growing wide. The expression on her face was one of pain and shock. With a gasp, Shea's eyes fluttered closed as the beep of the monitor gave way to a low, ominous hum.


	11. Some Things Can't Be Fixed

_**AN: **__Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your support. Please read and review._

Gabriel and Jack stood frozen, staring at Shea's lifeless body. Without a word, Gabe drew Shea's form to his chest and sat on beside her on the gurney. Tears ran down his cheeks as he rocked back and forth.

"I'm sorry, baby. God, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry…" Gabe went on, chanting the words as if he could somehow make her hear him. Suddenly, Shea jerked softly. The monitor never made any other sound but the constant drone. However, Shea was now awake, and looking up at Gabe. Obviously weak, she nonetheless reached up and wiped the moisture from his face. "Oh, God," Gabe managed to Shea. "I thought I'd killed you. I thought…" Shea wouldn't let him finish. "You can't kill something that's already dead."

Gabe kept Shea pulled him, like he thought that if he let her go he really would lose her. Jack watched the scene in shock and silence. The moment he'd realized that Shea wasn't dead, his analytical mind went into overdrive. Somehow, the process hadn't killed her. In fact, it appeared that she was much stronger than she appeared.

Whatever made her a vampire was more incredible than he could have imagined. Quickly, he thought of all the tests they had done. It had to be some sort of a disease, a virus, something so unusual that no test could pick the information up. That didn't make since either. Bacteria and viruses were living organisms. They changed and adapted. Shea's blood was dead, as was her flesh. Then again, it's possible that something could live _off_ her dead flesh…. No. That didn't make any sense either. If it had been living off of her, she would show signs of decomposition, some sign of things breaking down.

What if it was something that couldn't be seen, that lived off of the blood she _fed_ on? Something that was almost impossible to kill. As Shea had weakened, she'd appeared much more dead than alive. Jack realized that if there was something such as this hiding, then it could just as easily be some change in her organs that they couldn't detect.

"Gabriel," Jack said. Gabe didn't respond, focused entirely on Shea. "Gabe, we need to talk. Now." Jack commanded. Gabe shot him a dirty look, but Shea placed a hand on his arm. Whatever Jack had to say, it was important. She nodded to Gabe and said, "Go ahead. I'm fine." Gabe was obviously reluctant, but Shea stood firm. She needed time herself, to process everything that she had gone through and felt. The two men headed out the door and back up to the main desk.

"Gabe, I don't know what this is, but I don't think there's any way to get the information we need to even figure out what makes her this way. Even if we did, we probably don't have the skills or technology even to fix it. I've tried to think of it in terms of viruses, bacteria, infections, everything, but none of those make sense. Then I thought, maybe it's something in her brain or organs, but that doesn't explain everything either.

Nothing we know makes sense with her. Not when the very principles we work on say that she should be dead. I can't make these things add up with her healing abilities or her sensitivity to sunlight. She can fly, man. There's no basis for shit like that. She's got abnormal strength but her bones and muscles show no reason for it. Her heart doesn't beat, blood doesn't flow, but somehow, everything in her lives and even heals. Add in the sensitivity to holy water, and, well I hate to say it, but I think you'd have as much success with a priest. Which is none.

This is beyond science. This is beyond what we know or think about religion. I don't want to say it, but there's nothing we can do. We just don't know what does it or why. We don't even have any means of trying to figure it out," Jack said.

Gabe sat at a stool, his head bowed. Everything Jack said was true, and none of it anything Gabe hadn't considered himself. There wasn't anything to base vampire research on. "I know. Trust me, this is all I ever think about anymore. It's hopeless. I just can't believe this is it," Gabe said.

Jack opened his mouth to respond, but then he heard the elevator doors slide open. Sneaker-clad feet squeaked down to them, and a nurse came up holding a bevy of blood samples. "We need these as soon as you get the chance," she said. "I'll buy both of you dinner if you find some horrible disease or something."

Both men furrowed their brows in confusion at the comment. "Little harsh, isn't that? What did he do, freak out down there or something?" Jack asked the woman. "I wish. Then we'd have had the excuse to drug him. You two heard of the murders outside of the nightclubs downtown, right?" she asked.

Jack shook his head. The guy lived under a rock as much as was humanly possible. Gabe doubted he could name the vice president. Gabe had heard a few things, but had chalked them up to Katja and hadn't really read further. He knew he would just keep wondering if any of those people had been killed by Shea.

The nurse sighed and shook her head. "Every few weeks or months, some guy picks up a pretty young thing at a bar. Always a cute little one, always way too drunk to know better. In any case, the girl's always found in a dumpster. Rape, torture, death, the whole nine yards. The guy's a sick fuck.

"Anyway, a few weeks ago, they finally catch him. The cops were patrolling the area because of all of it, and actually found the guy _in the act._ The last girl was in some back alley, and he'd been having a time of it. The cops grabbed him, shoved him in the car, and tried to keep the girl alive until the ambulance arrived. She's still alive, but that sonofabitch did a number on her. He liked to cut them up before slitting their throats. He sliced through a bunch of muscles, so that she couldn't get away. She'll live, but God only knows if she'll ever walk again. I know some of the doctors that worked on her. They said she'll never be able to use any of her limbs normally for the rest of her life.

So anyway, the cops are so busy with the girl, not to mention sick with what they saw, that they forgot the guy. When they get back to the cruiser, they don't say a word to him. One of them said that they were so sick by it, they were worried they'd shoot him right there. They took him to the station and booked him.

In the process, they forgot to read him his Miranda Rights. They had one of those dashboard cameras, with the microphones, you know? His attorney got it, took it to the judge, and the case had to be thrown out. Bastard walked right out of it, and the cops who got him felt so horrible, they're both out on leave. Couldn't deal with the fact that they'd let him get off, though if you ask me, I don't blame them. God knows what seeing shit like that does to you," she told them.

"Jesus Christ," Jack said. Gabe was busy making a mental note to tell Shea that if she bit this one, he'd hold him down. "So what's he doing in here?" Gabe asked. The nurse smirked. "The story was all over the papers. He can't go anywhere without someone recognizing him now. Some guy saw him and beat the hell out of him. I hope like hell that the cops don't find him. Or that if they do, they forget to tell him his rights," she said with a sardonic laugh. Gabe shook his head. Jack looked over the test requests. "You know, just from looking at these, I think I'm seeing some sort of foreign matter or something. I'll have to run the tests, of course," he grinned, "but you might want to prep him for some exploratory surgery."

The nurse grinned and turned to leave. Jack and Gabe returned to the back room, where Shea was now standing, dressed. "What are you doing? Are you okay?" Gabe asked, crossing the room to her. "I'm fine," Shea returned. Jack gave her an unsure smile, not knowing what to say. Shea's smile was reassuring. Disappointed was an understatement for how she felt, but neither of them needed to know that. Jack turned to his equipment and started running the tests requested.

Gabe looked at Shea hopelessly. She knew what he was thinking. "It's ok," she said. "It's nothing I didn't say to begin with, right?" Gabe bowed his head, defeated, and Shea held him. It seemed like hours had passed when he finally pulled away and starting putting things back to order. He packed up Shea's blood as well, although he knew deep inside there was no longer any use for it. When he was finished, he turned to Jack and asked, "Can you cover for me? I need to get out of here." Jack looked away from what he was doing and responded, "Don't worry about it. Get going." Gabe put his arm around Shea and left.

They arrived at Gabe's apartment, and he slid his key into the deadbolt. Before he could turn it, however, the lock turned and the door swung open. They both jumped, and Gabe found himself face-to-face with Lucy. "Surprise! Holy Shit!" Lucy exclaimed, seeing first Gabe and then Shea. Her eyes flickered between the two, and she looked at her brother questioningly. "OK, um, what's going on? Holy shit! You're not a vampire again, are you? If you're a vampire again, Mom and Dad are going to kill you. Wait, actually, maybe that can be my excuse. _Are _you a vampire again?" she asked.

"No, I'm not. What are you doing here? Why aren't you in school?" Gabe asked. He was exhausted. Lucy was not something he wanted to deal with right now. "Don't try to change the subject," his sister said quickly. "I wasn't trying to. My story's longer. I can bet yours isn't. You dropped out, didn't you?" he asked. Lucy's eyes widened. "How'd you know?" she asked. "You hate every damn thing about school. You didn't want to go in the first place. You want to follow your own dreams, not theirs, and so on, and so forth…" Gabe's voice trailed off. Lucy's lips twisted as she gave her brother a dirty look. "Oh, gee, looks like you figured it all out. Aren't you the genius? I guess you can start explaining why you're dating a vampire again," she said with a sly grin. Gabe's eyes rolled. Shea snickered softly. As Gabe shut the door, Lucy couldn't help but say, "And everyone say's that _I'm _just like Mom."


	12. Katja's Story

_**AN: **Vote in the poll on my biography page to leave your input as to how you believe the story should end._

_Special thanks as always to Ghostwriter for your continued support!_

Lucy was entranced by the story Gabe told her. He left out most of the details, like what Shea had told him about her life… That was personal. Lucy actually even showed interest in his job for once. Despite the fact that it was certainly new and interesting subject matter, it was still surprising to Gabe. Lucy had never shown and interest in his work before. Everything, in fact, seemed to bore her rather quickly. In spite of the fact that she'd been held hostage by a head vampire at a tender age, Lucy was rather free-spirited and even flighty. Actually, perhaps it was _because_ of that fact.

Gabriel finished relating everything to Lucy, who then turned her attentions to Shea. Lucy felt no threat from Shea whatsoever. Lucy had been so young at the time, and Shea had helped save her from David. Also, Lucy had faced her own brother fully vamped out at the time, so even Shea's undead status did little to sway her. Then again, it may have just been Lucy's infallible curiosity, a trait she'd never grown out of.

"So he just found you? Just a weird series of coincidences and surprise, there he is? Now, he's trying to make you human again?" Lucy asked Shea excitedly. "Not anymore… We've already exhausted every possibility. They couldn't find a thing that would work," Shea responded. Gabe elaborated further. "I can't explain or even guess as to most of the characteristics that make a vampire a vampire. There's no medical explanation for most of it, so there will never be a medical solution," he said sadly. He really didn't want to deal with Lucy tonight, of all nights. He wanted to drag Shea into bed and keep her there. He wanted to crawl into a deep bottle of Jack Daniel's. He wanted to die, to get away from everything he was feeling right now.

"Then why aren't you looking somewhere else?" Lucy asked. Gabe arched an eyebrow. Lucy was better at causing problems that reaching solutions. Lucy sighed. "If there are things you can't explain with science, look elsewhere. Go through religious texts. Read all the folklore histories. There might be something in one of them. At least it's better than nothing."

Gabe's eyes widened. For once, Lucy said something that made sense. He started to smile as he looked to Shea. Shea gave him a soft smile in return. Outwardly, she appeared calm. Inside, she was dying bit by bit. Gabriel just would not give up. It killed her. This was going to destroy all over again, she just knew it.

"Want to join me in the library tomorrow, Luce?" Gabriel asked. He'd have to leave Shea here, as the library was closed at night. "What about work?" Lucy asked. "I work the night shift now. I'll go and see about taking some time off tomorrow or something," he replied. Shea felt horrible at his words. He was going to end up losing his job, and that would be just the beginning. "I need to go," Shea said suddenly. Gabe looked at her, confused. "Katja's still out there and I haven't even let her know I'm okay for weeks. She doesn't have the courage to come here. I need to see her, get things straight, and see to some things," Shea explained. Gabe started to question her, but Shea gave him a look letting him know she wouldn't listen to any argument. She had to get out of here, get away from him, or she'd never be able to think clearly. Gabe nodded, and asked her to come back the following night. "Either tomorrow or the next day," Shea responded noncommittally, and walked out the door. She didn't want Gabe taking her back to the abandoned house right now. He didn't realize she was still a little too weak to fly, so Shea set out, step by step, back to her temporary home.

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It was nearly dawn when Katja returned, and she startled at the sight of Shea. "I thought you weren't coming back," she accused. "Yes, you did," Shea replied. "You would be gone by now otherwise."

Katja didn't reply to that, but she knew Shea was right. "What happened?" she asked Shea softly. Despite her dislike for Shea's mingling with the humans, she cared about Shea. This was her friend. The girl who had saved her life on more than one occasion. At the very least, the girl who had made her what she now was, to spare her from death. Katja held no grudge against Shea. In fact, she was in many ways still grateful.

Katja had once been a stupid girl with silly ideas. She dreamt of being a dancer. Professionally trained in ballet most of her life, it seemed as though that dream would soon be a reality. The consequence of spending most of your time working towards something is that it isolates you from your peers, and Katja didn't have any friends to speak of. Of course, it went without speaking that there had never been enough time for boyfriends. On the night she'd one her first national competition, she'd joined a group of people she'd met there. It felt so wonderful, feeling a part of something, to be around people, talking and getting to know each other. She'd been especially happy to get to know the quiet, mysterious boy with hair almost as fair as her own. David knew how to lure a girl in, and how to lure her back to his home. If she hadn't been so drunk and high on the marijuana she'd just tried that night, she might have realized something was off. Maybe she would have noticed that his "home" was actually a dilapidated building on the outskirts of the city. Katja didn't notice a thing, in fact, until David's kisses and caresses turned to pain, as he ripped out her throat. She'd blacked out when Shea came in, glaring at David. Shea hated to watch him feed. David was like an animal when he fed, with no thought to what he was doing to the person he held. David viewed humans as animals, and had stated on occasion that he gave them no more thought that humans gave the cows and pigs in their slaughterhouses.

David dropped Katja when Shea came in, leering at her with a bloodstained sneer. Shea had only glared at him quietly, but never gave him the satisfaction of a response. Over the years, Shea had figured out that this angered David beyond anything else she could do. She took whatever small victory she could get. David had left, licking the blood off his lips obscenely at Shea. Katja didn't know how long it was until she revived, choking and gasping. Minutes or hours, in any case, Katja was dying. This was a cruelty Shea had not seen before. She'd sat down with the girl, knowing Katja didn't have much longer. Somehow, Katja had gasped out small pleas, begging Shea not to let her die, to help her. Shea couldn't bring herself to give the girl her blood, but didn't have the heart to let her go. Shea walked out of Katja's dimming view, and returned with an ornate bottle. "Do you see this? I can't save you, not in the way you are thinking of. This is his blood. It will make you like us. But you won't be alive, not like you are now. You will have to give up your life. You must kill to survive."

Katja's panic was so great, the only thing she could say was, "Please…" Shea's eyes had closed like she was in pain, then uncorked the bottle and pressed it to Katja's lips. Katja had drunk of it like a starving man; her only thought was for living. The agony of the change was nothing compared to what David had done. When David returned, he was shocked at the new development. He couldn't believe that Shea would actually turn someone. Shea kept mum on the actual source of the blood, and so did Katja. She felt like she had to. She didn't realize then that Shea had already determined that she would one day kill David and that would result in becoming the head vampire. Shea had purposefully never given anyone her blood in order to ensure that they would never be trapped to her.

At first, David had taken Katja with him on hunts, teaching her the rush of killing. He spoke of the true superiority of vampires, and of how weak Shea was. Katja was enthralled by him as well as by her new life, and followed eagerly. It was one day, when she prepared to go out for a hunt, that she asked Shea to come with her. Shea had refused, and Katja reacted angrily, spouting David's propaganda. Shea had looked at her calmly, and simply said, "I've heard it all, Katja. If I had listened, you would be dead, your throat ripped open. It was my _weakness_ that kept you on this earth, if you'll remember. If I ascribed to David's words, I would have left you as he had."

With those words, Shea had left Katja with her own thoughts and realizations. Whatever David spewed about being a master race, it didn't change the fact that they were once human. There was no rhyme or reason to who became a vampire. David himself chose those he thought would be the most accepting of his beliefs, more ready to kill. There wasn't any difference in strength or speed between a new vampire and one who had lived for centuries, except of course the head vampire. David's words did not hold up under scrutiny, because they were just that. Words. They were the words of a man who had found a way to make his existence worth living.

It was that realization that made Katja forever loyal to Shea. She had learned Shea's feelings about feeding and being a vampire, but David had taught her to make decisions for herself. Katja never killed without learning a few things about the person first. She tried not to feed on those who would be missed, or would possibly cause the world to miss out on something. However, she didn't feel like Shea in regards to only killing the worst of humanity. The one thing both Katja and Shea agreed upon was the consequences of holding onto a life amongst humans. Katja had seen what happened to Shea after leaving Santa Carla, after leaving Gabriel, and it had confirmed what she had always suspected would happen in that situation. It had broken Shea, and Katja knew she'd never fully regain what she'd lost. She didn't want to see Shea endure that all over again, because it would be so much worse this time.

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Back at his apartment, Gabe had been spending hours trying to answer Lucy's many questions. Lucy wanted to call their parents, but Gabe had flatly refused. He didn't want them to worry about this all over again.

A knock sounded at the door. Gabriel ran to it and flung it open, hoping Shea was returned. He sighed. "It's only you." Jack stood in the doorway, and muttered, "Thanks," as he entered. "Lucy, this is Jack, Jack, this is my sister Lucy," Gabe explained. Lucy rose to shake his friend's hand. Gabe didn't notice the look that passed between the two of them, or else he would have made a mental note to warn his friend away. But Gabe was too preoccupied in his own thoughts.

"Hey, man, I just wanted to suggest… uh… maybe a few other ideas for that… uh… _problem_ we've been working on? You know, with the _patient?"_ Jack said. "Don't worry about saying anything. Luce knows it all," Gabe said. Jack stared at Lucy in shock. Lucy gave him a grin. "Held hostage by a former head vampire. Bit the hell out of him and got away. Word of advice, they can dish it out, but they don't take it so well," she stated impishly. Jack's jaw hung open, but he managed to say, "A whole damn family of vampire hunters and would-be curers. Remind me to go as Zorro or something for Halloween."


	13. Hope, At Least, Will Stay Alive

"What happened?" Katja asked Shea. Shea was silent for a moment, and then started to relate the events of the past few weeks to her. Katja's eyes grew wide at certain points, but she kept any comments to herself. She knew that Shea wouldn't hear anything she had to say, because it had already been said to no avail. Katja had to admit a certain fascination with the prospect of returning to humanity, but she wasn't sure if it ended there. A part of her thought of returning to the world of the living, out of the shadows, but she was so accustomed to being a vampire now. Could she really readapt to mortality?

In any case, as Shea continued, it seemed the concept was just that. A theory, but in no way plausible. It was just as well. Wanting what you can not have only leads to being hurt. Shea was quickly becoming evidence of this theory, at least.

Shea told her about what had happened earlier that night. With a hiss, Katja asked, "Did they hurt you?" Shea smiled softly and replied, "Only in that they failed." Katja had to look away. She knew Shea had never fully accepted her fate. It was ironic that someone who had yearned to escape her loneliness had ended up a vampire, who must live alone and in shadows. The fact that Shea was the head vampire, the only one of a kind secluded in secrecy, leant weight to the theory that there was no fairness in this world.

Shea looked inquisitively at Katja. "Why did you stay, when I didn't return for so long?" Katja met her eyes. "I've been watching the whole time. I didn't know what happened at that hospital, but I felt like I should keep an eye on you all the same," she informed her. Shea laughed humorlessly. "I am a head vampire, who never sired anyone so that they would never be bound to me. Yet, here I am, with a protector more dedicated than any other could ever be. There truly is no rhyme or reason to this world, is there?" Shea asked, still laughing. Her laughs broke down into sobs. Katja, startled, didn't know how to react at first. She'd never seen Shea demonstrate any intense emotions. Shea's sobs were broken by laughs again, as if she'd gone mad. Through the chuckles, Shea managed to gasp out, "I'd thought for sure that David had taken every tear I had left. At least I managed to deny him something," before her voice broke again. Katja thought Shea had lost her mind.

Suddenly, Shea jumped up and started taking her frustrations out on the building around them. With the strength of a vampire, the building stood little chance. Shea's fists pummeled into walls, breaking apart brick and drywall. She ripped out light fixtures, and broke the aged steps like matchsticks. Katja kept back, bewildered. Finally, Shea collapsed, still sobbing. "I can't… I can't do this. I never wanted this life and I can't bear to live it anymore!" Katja crouched next to her. "Then let's leave it behind. We'll go so far the boy will never find us. We are never held to anything. We can just go," Katja said encouragingly. Some part of her felt the girl she had rise back up. The girl who never had time for anyone, now fearing the loss of the only friend she'd ever had. Katja didn't even realize the emotions that were taking hold of her. Perhaps she didn't care. She just didn't want to lose her friend.

Shea shook her head. "That's not it. It won't do any good," she said, finally getting her emotions under control. "You don't understand. All I ever wanted was just to love and be loved in return. He loves me. I love him.

"And I can't have him, because of what I am. I died _decades_ ago, Katja! A life I hated, an afterlife I hated even more, both of which I tried to make the best of. There's no such thing as _fate _or _destiny._ This is just cruel. The world dangles everything you ever wanted in front of you when it knows you can't have any of it. Sometimes I wonder if this is real at all. Maybe David killed me that night. Maybe I'm dead, and this is Hell."

Shea's tears had abated, and she sat quietly now. The hopeless look in her eyes scared Katja. Whatever the repercussions for her emotions now, Katja didn't care. Their world had just fully merged with Gabe's, and there was no going back now. Katja was at a loss as to how to move forward.

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Morning rose, and with it, so did Gabriel, Lucy, and Jack. Granted, none of them rose very happily, considering the late hours they'd had the night before. Coffee brewed and was drunk by the trio, only to be brewed again. However, Gabe wanted to get started on the research. He'd started last night, searching online through the card catalogs of all of the libraries. Mentally, he thanked God for modern technology, because he'd already put in a request to have the tomes he wanted set aside. The three of them would stop at each library and pick up the books, then return to his apartment to work where they would be unnoticed.

After the library, they made the drive to a small bookstore Lucy had mentioned. Gabe thought the trek a waste of time, but Lucy insisted she'd seen a large amount of books there on vampires and other supernatural topics. Her argument was a good one, as she'd merely informed him that she of all people ought to notice those things. Gabe didn't think they'd have any more information than those books they already had, but even Jack had sided with Lucy. He'd have to speak with his friend about loyalty when he had the chance.

Shortly after arriving, however, Gabe discovered that the discussion wouldn't be necessary. This wasn't some kitschy occult shop full of tarot cards and incense. It was actually a bookstore for antique and unusual books. The books he found there were like something out of a movie. Reproductions of folktales, copies and translations of old scrolls, the place was fascinating. Jack was up to his usual mischief within moments of walking in. The shopkeeper asked the three of them if he could help them find anything. Jack had replied, "Sure! Do you have "Where the Wild Things Are?" Lucy had giggled and Gabe had snorted, but the shopkeeper didn't miss a beat. "Of course, but only the original version," he told Jack. Jack had startled and informed him, "There's only one version of that one!" The shopkeeper crossed to a shelf and pulled out a sizable book. "Actually, it's not. The author based it on an ancient story told to children in Eastern Europe. Slavic tribes, I believe. However, in the original, the "Wild Things" are demons from hell sent to feed on naughty children. Ate them alive or ate their souls, depending on the translation. Needless to say, the publisher likes to keep that fact under wraps. This copy is even illustrated," the shopkeeper said, opening the book to show the group. A nasty-looking beast with red eyes held half a small child in one hand and one half in the other hand. A tiny limb hung from dripping, malicious teeth. Their eyes widened and Jack managed to say, "Um, no thank you." The shopkeeper shrugged and replaced the book, returning to the front counter. Jack shook his head. "I am _never_ reading that book to my kids. Ever. I don't care how much I loved it," he said, eyes scanning the stacks. "I'll second that," Lucy agreed.

Before long, they had pulled out a sizable selection of books. They went up to the counter and placed the books on the weathered surface. As the shopkeeper ran up their purchases, he noticed the titles. "Rather preoccupied with the vampire resources, aren't we?" Jack and Gabe stiffened. Lucy blurted out, "We're from Hollywood. We're writing a movie. We want to do something different with this one." Jack and Gabe exhaled together. The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows in approval, then reached below the counter. "I would give this one a try, then," he told them. "This is a translation of what's actually a sort of encyclopedia of vampirism, if you will. Most of the books you find are manuals on vampire hunting, A _Malleus Malleficarem _for vampires, so to speak. This one is more of a history, without any of that Stoker nonsense." Their eyes widened and they thanked him as he carefully wrapped the old books and bagged them.

"No problem at all," he told them as they left. "Just don't let me find out if you make a vampire who flinches at the sight of some garlic bread!"

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When the three of them returned home, Gabe immediately took charge of the purchased books, while Lucy and Jack skimmed through the books from the library. Slowly but surely, a pile began to grow as the two of them went through the books and discarded them. "This is a waste of time. Book after book on how to scare and kill vampires. I'm beginning to think there's a seriously problem with discrimination against the undead," Lucy exclaimed. Jack snickered. Suddenly, the two of them noticed that Gabe was still on his first book, the one the shopkeeper had recommended. He scribbled furiously on a legal pad beside him. "What'd you find?" Jack asked, as he and Lucy rose and went to him. "An unbelievable amount of information, things I've never heard of before. The two of you need to quit with the library stuff and start going through the other ones, because it looks like these are going to be our best bet.

The other books weren't as good as the book the man had suggested, but still contained more information. Lucy found one full of spells and potions people had once used in regards to vampires. Jack found one that contained a history of vampires. The accuracy of any of them could be seriously flawed, but at least it was something. However, Gabe had hit the jackpot on his book. Only his tome mentioned the head vampire, something none of them had found in other books. Gabe addressed Lucy and Jack.

"At this point, we need to lay out what we know, before we get into all that we've found. It's time to get all the information on the table and try to fit the pieces together. I think that somewhere, in all of this, we're going to have the answer. What Shea is and where she and her kind came from. Maybe, if we're lucky, that will give us everything we need to figure out how to undo it. If we're going to save her, then all the information we have is already here. We just need to find it."


	14. First Do No Harm

_**AN: **__To develop the trio's ideas on vampirism and its roots, the reader will notice that I have used information from a large number of sources. Historical resources, fiction, even movie plots are going to be tapped and some used. These will range from folklore, to mythologies surround Vlad the Impaler, to literary and cinematic works. You will probably recognize many if not all of the ideas referenced. Basically, I will be throwing out a multitude of concepts of vampirism, and using or discarding them depending on how they work with the vampires seen in "The Lost Boys" and in this story. _

_Also, please vote in the poll to make your opinions known. Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your support._

As Gabriel, Jack, and Lucy started to sort through what they learned, theories gradually began arising. They discarded a wealth of information they knew to be false, and set aside those they were unsure about. Their plan was to organize everything they had, and then approach Shea with it. Hopefully, she might be able to determine more of what was useless and what might be helpful.

It seemed that ancient concepts of vampires, or at least bloodsuckers, were darker and more horrifying than what they knew. They first found references to vampire-like creatures in Asia mythology, but these "vampires" were closer to demons that to undead humans. Snake covered heads and multiple arms were among the descriptions they found. For some reason, as time went on and the concept came to Europe, the vampire became reanimated humans. There had to be some reason that only a continent away and a few thousand years later, there was such a major shift in the idea. Tales of monsters and demons spread across cultures, but not with such a change. Not unless shape-shifting or something similar was involved. There was no reason they could find that explained the change in mentality.

Early Europeans, particularly those in the east, developed this idea of vampires before the end of the first millennium. However, their version was much closer to what the group knew of vampires than Asia's concept. They feared reanimated corpses, rising up and walking amongst them. It seemed that the myth of garlic repelling vampires arose here (along with other herbs and plants), but they also noted the vampire being repelled by crucifixes. They'd hit on correct information. Of course, they also thought that sinners became the undead, and that eating bread made with the vampire's blood would prevent vampirism. That didn't add up at all. Neither did the idea that a vampire couldn't help a compulsion to count items. If consuming the vampire's blood didn't make things worse, then they had to admit this sounded like a scare more than the real deal. It was Lucy who suggested that somewhere, some of them had actually dealt with vampires, which explained the things they knew to be true. However, through time and word of mouth, the stories grew, became out of proportion, and out of control. The "vampires" they hunted and killed were probably victims of disease whose bodies ended up mutilated in the mass paranoia that would have come of these stories.

Lucy laughed when she found a claim stating that vampires had horrible, rancid breath. She looked at her brother and said, "I don't think Dad would have chased Mom like he did if he'd gotten a whiff of that." Only the slight upward turning of Gabe's lips indicated he'd found any humor in the remark. Jack had looked between the two of them in shock. "Gabe didn't tell you? Our parents met when our mother was a half-vampire. Dad got turned to, they killed the head vampire, and they lived happily ever after, and all that," she told him. Jack only shook his head and returned to the research. He was really and truly done with any more of their family stories.

Vlad the Impaler, the famous inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula, seemed to be only that. However cruel and sadistic he was, there weren't any signs that the man was a vampire. However, Stoker had gotten a few things right. The sensitivity to Christian apotropaics probably came from folklore. Three brides of Dracula didn't make sense; however, if his inspiration was a head vampire, he may have had a woman protector or even a coven with three female vampires. Not dissimilar from what David had created with Shea and the other girls, if they thought about it. So some aspects of the character were those of a vampire, but the barbaric ruler was not one of them. It was the same thing for Elizabeth Bathory, as well as other noted historical "vampires."

They knew that vampires could actually enter a dwelling without being invited. However, once invited by someone considered a head of the household, they could enter as well as appear fully human. Although they could still be killed, they had abilities they didn't normally, such as having a reflection. Unfortunately, the distinction for the "head of the household" could vary. Usually, it was a parent or owner. If the father is not a part of the household, the eldest son assumes such responsibility. The entire "invitation" aspect was confusing and somewhat contradictory, and Jack even commented that if a vampire convinced himself that whoever invited him in was the head of the household, its inhabitants could probably find themselves powerless after an invite from a toddler. Gabe didn't completely disbelieve the possibility.

The Frogs had killed Marko with a wooden stake. Through discussion with Shea, which somewhat coincided with their research, they determined that wood was not necessary. It was the destruction of the heart. Beheading a vamp killed them as well. Gabe found information showing stakes of silver and even iron being used. When they had started their scientific research, Shea had explained that destroying a vampire wasn't as complicated as depicted. Basically, any serious wound that caused them to lose massive amounts of blood, while being unable to replenish it, would kill them. Dwayne exploded on a stereo, so her words made sense. The stakes used were rather thick, so they easily ripped the heart to shreds. In theory, a vampire could survive a staking if they could get enough blood, and very quickly. With beheading, there was no way they could drink the blood. There were some stories that claimed vampires survived staking or even pulled it from their chest. Jack responded to that with a wry, "Well, I guess the size of the shaft really _does_ matter."

Some stories claimed that vampires could walk around during the day. This could probably be chalked up to instances of half-vampires going about. They weren't sensitive to silver or any other metals. There were references to vampires who were more powerful than others, which they tried to fit with their knowledge of head vampires. However, it was claimed that head vampires exploded when they were destroyed. This corresponded with Max's death, but not David's.

"Okay, we've weeded out the truths from the fictions. We need to work on something else here," Jack finally said. Lucy, long since bored by the resemblance to academia, readily agreed. Gabe looked over the notes they had gathered, and nodded. "We've covered it all. Now we need to take the pieces and try to make them fit together. See if we can figure out the source of this." He pulled out a few pages of notes and moved over to the dry-erase memo board he'd set up nearby. It was actually supposed to be a calendar, which he'd received as a gift at some point. He'd hung it in the kitchen, always intending to use it but never actually bothering, which seemed to be the way of these boards. If he'd been in a humorous mood, he might have found it funny that the only time he was using the thing would be for research notes on curing his girlfriend of being dead. Perhaps the idea could be sold as a new marketing plan.

"Jack, Lucy, I'm just skipping past everything we know is wrong. Almost _everything_ is wrong. Leading a virgin stallion through a graveyard, for God's sake," he muttered as he turned to the board. Marker in hand, he started noting down everything they knew to be true. Vampires were dead, yet very strong and healed quickly. They were immortal, but not invulnerable, at least to extreme wounds. They had no reflections unless invited into a home. Vampires could not tolerate sunlight, although they weren't comatose during the day. They could actually move around, although they were weak and had to avoid direct sunlight. Sunlight equaled burning, almost instantaneous spontaneous combustion. Holy water and crucifixes burned them, the holy water similar to acid.

"Vampires can't stand sunlight or Christian sacred items. Whatever we're looking for, the answer has to involve the religion in some way or form," Gabe said, studying the words he'd written. "That doesn't make sense," Jack said. "The concept predates Christianity."

"Some think the offspring of Lilith and Cain are vampires," offered Lucy. "But that predates Christianity too."

Gabe nodded. "The concept of demonic, monstrous, blood-sucking beasts predates Christianity. After that, they become humans infected by another vampire, not dead but not alive," he stated. Jack and Lucy looked over to each other, trying to make sense of what he was saying. "Gabe, why would mythological demons from _other _cultures be affected by items related to the Son of a God they don't worship?" Jack asked.

"Believing in something or believing it's something else doesn't change what it is. People don't generally believe that vampires are real. In the past, people believed their dead were vampires when they weren't, and that certain things would protect them when they couldn't. Whatever they believed, these originals were some sort of demons on earth. After Christ, it's like something emerged that was a hybrid of both. What's the connection that these hybrids didn't start showing up before?"

Lucy's eyes widened, and she started searching for a book. She knocked over stacks in her haste, until she found the tome she sought. Flipping through the pages, she finally found what she was looking for and stopped. "There's another theory as to where vampires came from," she said, turning the book to Gabe. His eyes widened as the pieces fell into place.

He was staring at a picture of Judas Iscariot, as he betrayed Christ with a kiss.

Gabe pulled the book to him, murmuring, "This must be where they got the belief that sinners and suicides were doomed to become vampires. It all makes sense. Judas killed himself, but wasn't allowed to die. Christ gave his blood to his followers- the Eucharist. So Judas was cursed to have to take their blood, to show how far opposite to Christ he truly was.

The crosses, the holy water… all symbols of the God that condemned him. There's nothing to indicate he ever sought forgiveness. Hell was apparently too good for him. He betrayed the Son of God. God gave him a special kind of hell, hell on earth. Forever."

Jack and Lucy looked to each other and tried to think of an argument. They didn't have anything. "Remember that crack you made about an exorcism?" Gabe asked Jack. Jack's eyes widened. "You don't think it's as simple as that, do you?" Jack asked him. Gabe shrugged. "If we could find someone to do it, it couldn't hurt," he said.

It was Lucy who realized what success would mean. "Gabe," she said softly. Both Gabe and Jack turned to her. "You may be able to force out of her whatever makes her vampire. The fact remains that she is dead, and has been for a long time. How do you know that expelling whatever keeps her _alive,_ in a manner of speaking, will cease to once it's gone? Basically, Shea is dead. What if in doing this, in trying to save her like this, you end up condemning her to the death she should have already had?"


	15. Decision is Made

_**AN: **__Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your reviews and support._

_Please vote in the poll and make your opinions known. See my biography for link!_

Gabe looked down at his feet, disheartened by Lucy's words. The possibility she suggested was just as likely, if not more so, than his original thought. Jack expanded on the concept.

"Lucy makes sense," he told Gabe. "Previously, we knew that vampires who hadn't yet taken a victim could be restored by killing the head vampire. They're destroying the top of the hierarchy, the most powerful evil, so to speak. I think that by destroying something evil, instead of something innocent, it's a form of redemption. When the head vampire is killed, those who haven't taken a life get theirs back. A sort of karmic reward, perhaps.

The fact remains that she has taken the lives of human beings, despite whoever they were." Jack thought of something else, a remnant of Sunday school teachings in his childhood merging with the things he now knew. "Someone once told me that murder is the worst sin a person can commit. Anybody can be forgiven if they ask, but when someone is killed at the hands of another, that person is taking any future chances at salvation. A murderer is taking the risk of condemning someone to Hell."

Gabe looked to Jack. "Do you think forgiveness is a possibility?" Then he sat up a let his head fall back. "I can't even believe I'm asking this. I'm a doctor." Jack shrugged. "Believe in science if you want, but your girlfriend gets scalded by crosses and holy water. I think we can all safely assume there's a power greater than man. As for forgiveness, that's based on the belief that the Messiah died for mankind's sins. Mankind is humanity, and Shea isn't human."

With sinking resolution, Gabriel finally knew it was over. They were out of ideas and exhausted. Lucy and Jack could see it in his face. Without a word, Gabe pulled himself up from his chair and went to his bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. For now, he would sleep. For a few hours, maybe he could escape the hopelessness and heartbreak. Silently, he prayed that if there was a God, that He would give him a dreamless sleep, because Gabe expected he would see Shea. He would see himself losing her, because he'd failed her.

Back in the living room, Jack and Lucy still sat where Gabe had left them. Quietly, a tear ran down Lucy's cheek. "Hey, don't cry, please don't cry," Jack pleaded. "I really can't stand it when girls cry."

Lucy's lips turned up slightly, despite the turmoil she felt. "I know she's a vampire. But I also know she and Gabe saved my family's lives. She loves him. I know she loves him, especially with all this," she said, waving her arm at the texts. "I know how strong the head vampire is. I met David. I was held _hostage_ by David. Yet somehow, Shea was able to kill him. It would have to take incredible power to do that.

My brother has loved her since the day he saw her. Maybe because my parents met when my mother was a vampire, I'm too romantic about this. This just isn't fair, though, that there's no happy ending." Lucy sniffed, and then chuckled at herself. "I just sounded about ten years old again," she said.

Jack smiled. "I feel the same way," he said. "Don't tell your brother though. I don't want to get thrown out of the guy club or something," he joked, trying to cheer Lucy up. It worked, Lucy grinned at him. Jack was relieved. He really couldn't bear to see her crying. "Why don't we try to get some sleep?" he asked her. Lucy nodded and Jack retrieved pillows and blankets. He laid out a bed on the couch for her, and then started to build himself a cot on the floor. "You don't need to do that. The couch pulls out," Lucy informed him. Jack raised an eyebrow. Lucy's furrowed. "I'm suggesting a more comfortable sleeping arrangement. You on one side, me on the other, nothing more," she informed him. He grinned sheepishly, and accepted the offer. Anything was better than the floor. The two of them set up the pull-out, and climbed in. As they settled in, Lucy looked over and informed him, "Just remember one thing in case you think of trying anything. When I was _ten, _I _bit _a _head _vampire. You don't want to know what I'll do to a mere mortal."

Jack burst out laughing.

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In the basement of their ramshackle home, Katja was just returning. Shea hadn't left for even a moment. Katja hated this change in her companion. After leaving Gabe the first time, Shea was at least confident that she had done the right thing. Now, however, Shea had seemed to lose all will to go on. Shea was a survivor, and had always been strong, both physically and mentally. No matter what, Shea kept going, even if it meant she was only going through the motions of her existence.

Katja cursed softly. She knew there was nothing left that she could do. Katja didn't hate her life as a vampire. She may not embrace it quite as fully as David did, but she refused to feel guilt for doing what she needed to survive. While Katja accepted her position in the food chain, she wasn't some cat toying with a mouse. She lured her prey, disarmed them as much as possible, and fed. She did not torture them, but she didn't set the limits on herself that Shea did.

For the first time in a few days, Shea spoke. "Sleep well tonight, Katja. You're leaving when the sun sets," she said flatly. Katja's eyes grew round. "No. I stay with you. I will not go anywhere," she replied. Shea turned to face her, her eyes tired and hollow. "I can't do this anymore, Katja. You were right. I got in way too deep. Now, I'm paying the price for it. In any case, I can't keep going the way I was before. You know I hold no grudges against your choices, but that ends now. If you still feel beholden to me, then all I ask is that you choose your victims with more care. If you can't give back to the world, then you can at least take some of the monsters from it. Do that for me, because there's nothing left _of_ me. There is nothing left for you to protect," Shea said firmly.

To her surprise, Katja felt tears well up in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away. "You don't need to do this," she told Shea uselessly. Shea smiled. "I know. I don't _need_ to do anything. It's what I want. This world is too hard to be in when you can't be a part of it. Every day of my life, human or vampire, I have merely existed. I kept going because I was from a place where there were many hard times, and that's just what you did. You kept going.

Gabriel is the only thing in this world that showed me that nobody can just exist once they know what they are missing. Those who say to keep going have the promise of change and maybe even a beautiful life after the ones they have here. Vampires don't have these promises. For us, nothing will ever change, and death will never come. We will hunt, we will kill, and we will try not to be killed. We will not bear children; we will not grow old with the ones we love; we will not be a part of any cycles. So this existence is no longer enough for me. Eternity is a long time to know no peace."

Slowly, Katja nodded. She knew what Shea was going to do. She also knew that there was nothing she could do to stop her. Shea's words reverberated within her, and Katja knew then that she would never feed off of a person without reason again. It was the least she could do for her. Shea had spared her from death, albeit reluctantly and even ensured her freedom in doing so. Never had Shea ever requested anything of this nature or importance. There was nothing left that she could do for Shea except honor her request.

Katja watched Shea curl up onto the mattress and fall asleep before she retired to her own bedding. With a weary mind, Katja slept.

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When night fell, Katja and Shea awoke. Katja looked to Shea wordlessly, who merely nodded. Katja began to gather her meager possessions.

Her task finished, Katja turned to Shea. "You've always said that getting involved with humans and their lives would lead to this. I think you're wrong. Many of our kind out there are just like David, killing without reason or remorse, cutting down as many people as they can. I might have been one of them if not for you. You have been the closest thing I have ever had to a sister, so your theory is wrong. A part of me will die with you."

Shea's eyes filled with tears, and she embraced Katja for the last time. "Be well, and try to find some happiness," she said. The pair made their way out of the house. With a final teary glance, Katja smiled at her friend, her sister, and flew off into the night.

With a shuddering sigh, Shea began to walk. She could have flown, but she needed time to collect herself and her thoughts. Finally, she arrived at Gabe's apartment. She knocked on the door, and Lucy answered. When Lucy saw Shea, her eyes welled with unwanted tears, and Shea's suspicions were confirmed. There wasn't any hope, not that she had expected there to be. Shea was shocked, however, when Lucy threw her arms around her.

"I'm sorry," Lucy whispered. Shea pulled away and smiled sadly. "It's not anything I didn't expect," Shea consoled her. "I just hoped… I know how much you two love each other. I wanted to believe… No, I still want to believe that could overcome anything," Lucy said softly. Jack looked on, his expression saying more than words could. "If it means anything, I will tell you that immortality is not conducive to a sense of humor. Vampires really have seen it all, for the most part. However, as old as I am, the funniest thing I've ever seen is you giving David a dose of his own medicine," Shea said. Lucy laughed between sniffs.

"Do you two mind if I'm alone with Gabe for a while?" Shea asked. "Of course," Jack said quickly. "Do you want to get something to eat?" he asked Lucy. "I know only the best all-night diners." Lucy nodded. "Do you mind if I stay at your place? I'd rather give them the night," she asked. Jack nodded. "Just don't bite me. I've heard more about your teeth than any vampires."

Shea smiled at this as she closed the door. She found Gabe in his bedroom, still asleep. Quietly, she crawled into the bed beside him. Gabe awoke and turned to her. Without a word between the two of them, they kissed.


	16. Almost Human

_**AN:** Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your reviews and support. Vote in the poll on my bio page and make your opinions known. Please read and review!_

Shea and Gabriel lay there, kissing, for what seemed like an eternity. Gabe only spoke when he realized that Shea was crying. He pulled back and brushed her hair aside. "I'm sorry. I tried, I tried everything I could think of," he pleaded. He didn't know that this was not the reason Shea wept. "We'll still find a way to be together, no matter what," he began, but Shea put a finger to his lips. "I don't want to talk right now. I just want to be with you. I just want to feel you here, beside me. I want to forget everything outside of here, just for tonight. One night. One night where I'm not a vampire and you're not a human. We're just two people who love each other and have forever in front of us," Shea said to him. Gabe nodded.

Rolling Shea underneath him, his lips met hers desperately. He held her tightly to him, so tightly that if she'd needed to breathe, it would have been impossible to do so. It was as if Gabe thought if he never let go, then they really could just be two people in love forever. Perhaps he did.

Shea was of a fully different mindset. With every kiss, her heart broke a little more. These would be her last hours on earth, and she wanted every minute to be with him. She wouldn't tell him until she had this. Shea had no idea what fate lay before her, be it Heaven or Hell, reincarnation or nothingness. The world was empty before her without him. She had earned these last moments.

Before long, Gabe's hands and mouth drove any and all thoughts from her mind. Lips met and bodies merged, and they both hit the peak. At that moment, they truly were nothing more than a man and a woman loving each other.

Gabe pulled Shea close to him, and they lay silently. Shea tried to imagine his life and future. She hoped that he found someone to love, maybe even have children. Gabe had never mentioned wanting any, but then again, it was a moot point between the two of them. Shea just didn't want him to be alone. The only reason she could ever regret loving him would be if she condemned him to a life without it.

However, Gabe had pushed his sad thoughts from his mind. As he made love to Shea, he made a decision. Vampire, human, no matter the obstacles between them, they would be together. They would find a way. A smile crept onto his face as he thought of the future. As time went on, he would grow old and eventually die. Gabe worried about how Shea would handle that. _No_, he commanded himself softly. They weren't going to solve all of their problems in a night, and definitely not this night. This was their night, with no worries or concerns between them. Everybody deserved that once in a while.

Gabe chuckled softly to himself. Lifting herself onto her forearm, Shea's brow creased as she asked, "What's so funny?" Gabe grinned. "I was just wondering if vampires get as hungry after sex as humans," he told her. Shea smiled and shook her head. "I don't feel hunger, not like you do. When I need to feed, something else slowly starts to take over. The demon, if you will. If I don't feed, it will take over and I'll kill the first thing that crosses my path," she explained. "OK, then, note to self: keep the girl fed," Gabe said jokingly. Shea punched him softly in the ribs. "You're hungry?" she asked him. "I'll go find something in a minute," Gabe replied.

Shea grinned and rose from the bed. "Come on," she said, and left the room, still nude. As Gabe rose to follow, he called after her, "Where are you going?" He found Shea in the kitchen, rummaging through cabinets and his fridge. It actually took him a few moments to realize what she was doing. "Are you _cooking?_" he exclaimed. Shea frowned at him. "I may not eat, but I still remember how to cook. In fact, I'll bet I cook better than you ever could," she retorted. Gabe looked unconvinced. Arching a brow, Shea pointed to a chair and he sat down obligingly.

As Shea laid out bacon in a pan, Gabe started to rise. "Uh, Shea, do you want some help? Things have changed somewhat since you were human," he said. Shea gave him a dirty look. "Really? Tell you what, I'll build a fire in the middle of the room and you can hunt down a nice mammoth. Then I'll roast it while you paint a depiction of your marvelous hunt on the walls with its blood."

Gabe raised his hands in mock surrender. He couldn't have known that when and where Shea came from; disparaging a woman's ability to cook was quite the insult.

As the bacon sizzled, Shea started mixing ingredients in a bowl. The only things Gabe could really recognize were flour and milk. Gabe could cook; however, he really only broke out the flour when something needed to be breaded and fried. Shea obviously knew what she was doing.

More pans came out as Shea worked. As Gabe realized that Shea remembered what she was doing, he began to relax. As Gabe relaxed, he began to realize that Shea was in his kitchen, cooking him breakfast in her birthday suit. All interest in food gone, Gabe moved up behind her and ran a hand around her waist, nuzzling her neck. That is, until Shea slapped him on said arm. Gabe pulled back, surprised. "Cut it out or you'll make me burn it," Shea ordered.

Gabe returned to his chair and watched her work, duly chastened. Shea noticed oranges in the fridge that were surprisingly still good (surprising in that Gabe had no idea when he'd bought them). "Do you have a juicer?" Shea asked him. Gabe only laughed. Shea shrugged and pulled the bag out and a glass. Her face changed and she sunk her fangs into the oranges. One by one, Shea squeezed the juice out of each orange into the glass, and then smiled triumphantly at Gabe. "Not saying another word," he said, and Shea laughed.

Shea pulled a plate out of the cupboard and laid out the food. Gabe found himself facing a massive plate piled high with pancakes, eggs, and bacon. "Thank you, but how am I supposed to eat all that?" he asked, shocked. Shea grinned. "I told you I was a country girl."

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Shea didn't lie when she said she could cook. Just because she didn't need to eat didn't mean she couldn't remember how to make food. She didn't need to make her own clothing anymore, she informed Gabe, but she could still sew, knit, and crochet. "Wow," Gabe had replied. "You really are an old lady." Shea had slapped his arm.

Gabe had just finished eating (all of it, in fact) when Shea left the room. She returned with her arms full of blankets, sheets, and towels. Dropping the materials on the floor, Shea left again and came back with tape, a hammer, and nails. Handing the hammer and nails to Gabe, she said, "Start covering windows. It will be daylight soon." Gabe was confused. "Don't you need to sleep? The windows in there are already sealed," he said. Shea leaned down and kissed him. "I can stay awake. I decided to be selfish. I want the day with you, too." Gabe and grinned and got to work, making sure no light crept in any seam. The first rays of sunlight appeared over the horizon as they sealed up the final window. Admittedly, Gabe was exhausted. "I don't know if I can stay up all day," he told her. Shea shot a wicked smile in his direction. "I'll do my best to help you with that," she said saucily, and sauntered over. Shea kept her word.

As the day wore on, Shea and Gabe managed to break in every room of the small apartment and a few rooms quite thoroughly. It was early in the afternoon when they lay curled together alongside the couch. Neither had bothered with clothing at any point during the day. Before either of them could react, a key turned in the lock and the door swung open, casting daylight across the two of them. Shea screamed in agony as her skin erupted in flames. Gabe jumped up, yanking the blanket that lay across the back of the sofa. "Close the damn door!" he swore at Jack and Lucy, who reacted quickly despite their shock. Gabe slapped the blanket covering Shea as she wept softly. "I'm so sorry! We didn't know!" Lucy cried, averting her eyes from their nudity. Jack flipped the locks on the door to ensure no one else could enter and make the situation worse, although the possibility was remote. With the flames extinguished, Gabe gathered Shea into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, slamming the door with his foot behind him.

"Are you okay? Baby, talk to me," Gabe begged. He was terrified. "Shea, are you okay? Please, baby, I couldn't stand it if something happened to you," he continued. Shea looked up at him, her eyes soaked with tears. "I'll be fine," she told him. "I heal fast. It just hurts."

Gently, Gabe looked over the burns. He'd had his back to the door, with Shea pressed between him and the sofa. The position was fortunate as it has spared Shea much of the sunlight. Gabe didn't let himself think about what might have happened if she'd been the one facing the door. Shea might have been gone before he'd even had a chance to react. As it was, burns extended alongside the right side of Shea's body, across her shoulder, hip, and thigh. The burns covered her calf and foot, as she'd had her knee wrapped around him. They were easily third degree, and pieces of smoldering flesh still clung to the wounds.

"Shea, I'm sorry, but… I think we need to get the burned parts off," Gabe said haltingly. Shea nodded. If she'd balked at all, Gabe wouldn't be able to do it, considering everything else he'd put her through. "It will heal faster like that," she told him. Shea whimpered as he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. He turned the water on and laid Shea into a lukewarm bath. Shea gasped. "Does it hurt too much?" Gabe asked. Shea shook her head. "Not anything like the sunlight did. I can handle this," she informed him. Nevertheless, Gabe's ministrations were not without the occasional moan from Shea. Finally, he couldn't find any other blackened areas. To his shock, he noticed fresh, pink skin already beginning to form around the edges of the wounds. Shea caught his expression and said to him, "Trust me. Holy water is _so_ much worse."

Gabe laid Shea down on the bed and pulled on the pants that he'd discarded the night before. He walked into the living room to find Jack comforting a sobbing Lucy. "Is she…." Jack began. Gabe nodded. "The skin's already beginning to grow back," he informed them. Lucy opened her mouth, but Gabe held up his hand. "It's okay, I know it wasn't intentional. Shea will be fine," he assured his sister. Lucy finally began to calm down. "Can I go talk to her?" she asked. Gabe was surprised, but he nodded.

He sat down on the couch, slightly singed in some places. He motioned for Jack to have a seat. Instead, Jack walked into the kitchen and came back with a chair. "I'm fine here, thanks," he said, and Gabe realized that Jack was uncomfortable sitting where he'd just found the two of them naked.

"Well, if you're going to be like that," Gabe told Jack, "Then you probably don't want to sit there either."


	17. Have to Let Her Go

AN: Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your continued support

_**AN: **__Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your continued support._

Shea lay in the bedroom, feeling the pain subside. She thought of all that Gabriel and Jack had tried to do, trying to restore her humanity, and then wondered if she _could_ have been human again. This day had been everything she'd ever wanted. For those brief hours, she was living the little life she had pictured as a little girl, a half a century ago.

The pain was almost gone now. If she fed, the healing would be complete within the hour. Shea didn't want to feed. There was no reason to heal. She thought of how such a burn would have felt to a human… months, years even, of slowing recovering. However, healing meant that the human had to survive the initial injury, then risks of infection, among other things. Could she even tolerate _real _pain anymore? What would happen if she broke a bone? Cracked her skull? Shea didn't even know if she could remember what a splinter felt like. Then again, she wasn't interested in any sharp pieces of wood, vampire or not.

The night was quickly approaching, which meant her hours were few. Shea knew she'd have to find a place where she couldn't panic and run for cover. Perhaps it was fate that Lucy and Jack came at that exact moment. If they hadn't, Shea wouldn't have any clue of the agony that awaited her. She might have done it on a rooftop, where she could have gone over the side if she couldn't stand it anymore.

Gabriel… Shea knew without a shred of doubt that he was her soul mate. She blinked back tears as she thought of hurting him. However, he was born in a different lifetime. They weren't intended to be together, at least not yet. Perhaps she would have died years ago, and returned to the world again. A human girl, perhaps one around Lucy's age. Maybe that's the way things were supposed to be… Shea could see herself as a young girl in Lucy's class, going to play at her new friend's house. She could see herself falling for her friend's older brother who never notices her until she suddenly grows up on him one day. Or perhaps this is exactly the way things were meant to be and they'd both have to wait until their next lifetimes. Maybe there really was only this one life and they'd have to meet somewhere else… or maybe there was nothing. Shea decided to stop thinking.

A soft rap echoed at the door, and Lucy came inside. She eyed Shea with a haunted look. Shea knew what she wanted to know, and forced a smile. "I'm fine, Lucy," Shea told her. She pulled up the sheet to reveal her calf and foot, which were now showing entire patches of fresh skin. Gabe walked in with a mug, and set it beside Shea. "Drink this," he said. "You'll heal faster." With that, he left, wanting to give the girls a few minutes. Shea could smell the blood, and realized it was some he'd brought back from the hospital for her. She hadn't wanted to feed, but the smell was too strong.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you, Shea," Lucy blurted out. "I swear it was an accident."

Shea smiled. "I know. Besides, it won't matter much longer," she said.

Lucy was confused. "What are you saying?"

Shea sat up. The blood was causing her wounds to heal much faster now. She pulled her shirt over her head and then pulled on pants, wincing only once. "Tell Jack to come here too," she ordered. Lucy nodded, and went to go get the young man. When they returned, Shea sat on the edge of bed, nothing in her face showing she was feeling any residual pain.

"I'm telling the two of you first because I need time to tell Gabe," Shea began. "Despite everything we've tried, nothing has worked. I will never be human again, and therefore, he and I can never be together.

"Last time, he didn't have any closure, and that was my mistake. I won't make it again; I won't do that to him. When the sun rises, I'll be there to see it. I don't have any desire to live a half-life anymore. It's not even so much being a vampire; it's being without him. I can't do it.

"I don't want you two to argue with me. You can't change my mind. He and I are holding each other in between two worlds, and I have to let him go. I need you both to be there for him, to make him keep going. To get on with his life."

Jack and Lucy looked at Shea in shock. Never could they have anticipated this. "No." Lucy stated flatly. "No way in Hell. You're not going to do this. Not again, not to him! Do you know how much he loves you?"

"_Do you know what he'll lose?" _Shea reiterated hotly. "Human beings can _not_ live in the dark. He may be able to walk in the sun, yes, but how many friends can he have, with a secret like this? How does he explain why I never come out during the day? He can't. He probably won't be able to, because he'll be so busy trying to balance himself between our worlds. There is a great chasm between the two, and he will fall. Also, what if another vampire decides to try to move in on my territory? He would be used against me, destroyed in an effort to weaken me. There _are _vampires out there who won't believe that they can't take my crown. They've come for me, and they've failed, because I only have myself to protect. A vampire who lives in shadows always takes the risk that the clouds will disappear and they will burn. A human who lives in shadows will fade.

"I am old. I have lived a life that was no life for too long. I can't do that to him. This time, I will tell him goodbye, I promise you. But it's not fair to him to let him live like that, and it's not fair to me either."

Lucy obviously wanted to argue further, but Jack saw the truth in Shea's words. She had tried to find a way and failed. He couldn't really blame her. He knew how Shea and Gabe felt about each other. He didn't know if Gabe would really get over though. Unfortunately, if she was still out there, he was positive Gabe would spend his life in pursuit, and probably get himself killed in the process.

Jack approached Shea and wrapped her in a hug. "I don't want this, you know I don't, but I can't ask this of you," Jack said. Pulling away, he said, "However, you know Gabe will."

Shea nodded. She expected no less. Jack blinked rapidly. "I'm sorry. We tried everything, but…" his voice trailed off.

Lucy found herself unable to say anything. She wanted to argue, to tell Shea anything to keep her from doing this. But Shea was firm and Lucy knew it. She threw her arms around Shea. "I'll miss you more than you know," she told her. Shea returned the embrace before pulling away. "I will tell you goodbye now," she told the pair, "And then I will tell him."

Jack and Lucy nodded, and left without words. Tears were pouring down Lucy's face as she returned to the living room. Seeing his sister's distressed, Gabe jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "What's the matter? Is it Shea?" Without waiting for an answer, he ran back to the bedroom. He burst in to find Shea standing by the window, watching the last rays of the sunset disappear over the horizon. It was the most she could watch of the sunset. Gabe breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the front door open and close. He crossed the room and pulled Shea into him, wrapping his arms around her stomach. "I'm so glad you've healed," he told her, placing a kiss behind her ear. Shea shivered involuntarily, such was her longing for him.

"I need to talk to you, Gabriel," Shea said softly. Gabe kept kissing her neck. "About what?" he asked her. "About what I must do now," she replied, and turned to face him. "I love you," she said, wanting him to know that before anything else. "I love you too, sweetheart," Gabe replied with a smile. He could do anything when he had her love.

"That's why I need to do this," Shea said. Gabe felt a twinge of concern. "What is it that you _think_ you need to do?" he asked.

Shea met his eyes. Sadly, she replied, "Tomorrow morning, the sun will rise. It will be beautiful, because the sunrise is always beautiful. I remember that even though I haven't seen it in decades. But tomorrow morning, I will watch the sunrise. It will be the last thing that I do on this earth."

Gabe grabbed her upper arms. "What are you talking about? Why? Why would you do that? Why now, when we're together and we're happy? No. You're not going anywhere. You're not going to do this to me again, Shea, I'll find you. There's nowhere you can go that I can't look for you!" Gabe was yelling now, panicking.

"There is one place," Shea said, eyes glistening. "You know it has to be this way, Gabriel. We tried to make me human again, and it didn't work. Nothing has changed from before. I won't play tricks this time, because I'm tired. I don't want to live a life without you and I don't want to steal yours. The only reason I'm telling you now is because I won't hurt you like I did before, not telling you goodbye."

Gabe fell to his knees in front of her, pressing his face into her belly. His heart broke and he sobbed for want of her. There was nothing he could say to dissuade her, and he didn't know how to try. "I can't live in this world without you," he said. "You are my world."

Shea's resolve was breaking apart, piece by piece. She had to go, had to leave before she changed her mind. Shea loved him so much. However, the cruelest thing she could do would be to force him to live the way she knew he'd have to. Shea dropped to her knees before him.

"I love you so much, Gabriel. That's why I have to do this. It just won't work, not like this."

Gabe held her so tightly he'd have broken a human's bones. Shea found his lips with hers, and kissed him with everything she had. It was her heartbreak, her sadness, her pain, her anger, her love for him. Finally, she pulled away and stood. Gabe couldn't stop her, he hadn't the strength. Nevertheless, he tried, desperately trying to keep her there. With a soft smile as her final farewell, Shea disappeared, leaving the apartment with preternatural speed.

Gabe collapsed on the floor. His chest hurt. His head hurt. But still he cried, replaying Shea's words. Then, he suddenly stopped. Realization dawned on him. He knew what to do. He knew how to stop Shea from meeting the dawn.


	18. Forever Will Never Be Enough

Gabe ran out of his apartment, not even bothering to shut the door. He was on his bike and tearing into the night within moments. He calculated quickly in his head. It was now an hour until midnight. The sun would rise around six in the morning. That left him with about seven hours to do what he needed to do and to find Shea.

He had no idea where she would go, but he knew how he could find her. Lost in his thoughts, and with no thought of speed limits, he found himself at the hospital in record time. He turned off the bike and took the keys. Shea liked the bike. He didn't want anything to happen to it.

Gabe used the stairs to get to his department. Since he had been gone, and now Jack had taken the past few days, his supervisor was working the night shift. "What are you doing here?" she asked sharply, angered that she'd had to fill in the shift the past few nights. Gabe ignored her and walked right past, into the very back of the lab. He opened the employee fridge and pulled out Jack's lunch bag, forgotten the night he'd thought Shea had died. They had all been so hopeless, none of them had even thought about it. Luckily, it seemed nobody had tried to pilfer his lunch only to find a disturbing surprise.

Gabe unzipped the bag and dumped the contents, still packed in dry ice, into the sink. His supervisor had followed him, and gasped at what she saw. "Do you know what kind of violations…?" she began, as Gabe pulled out one bag, then ripped open the others. He plugged the drain and poured sanitizer into it, destroying any evidence of the work they'd been doing. All except the bag in his hands. His supervisor still railing at him, Gabe gave her and angry look as he stabbed the final bag. "I quit," he said bluntly, before raising the bag to his lips.

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Shea had flown across the sky, watching cities and states pass by below. She crossed mountains and time zones, but there was still somewhere she wanted to go before she died.

The little farmhouse and the land it sat on were long gone, paved over to become townhouses and parking lots. She knew exactly where it would have been. She landed in the parking lot and looked around. Her room had become parking spots for building D. Without much left to see there, she flew away again. The little cemetery was larger now, with a fountain in the middle. Shea found that slightly funny; after all, what do the dead care about a fountain? She was _un_dead, and she couldn't even care less.

Shea approached her mother's grave, where she had been buried with her baby brother. The baby who'd never even had the chance to live. Shea sat down in front of the stone, tracing the weather-worn letters of her mothers name with cold fingers.

"Hello, Mama," Shea said softly. "I don't know if you can see me where you are. I don't know if you can hear me. I hope you can. I still miss you, you know.

"I wish I could ask you what you think I should do, but I haven't been able to for a long time now. I learned to rely on my instincts, but they're not telling me anything right now. I think this is the right thing to do, though.

"I just wanted to come here first, in case I don't get to see you… after. I guess I needed to say goodbye. I never got to do that. Then I went and did it to someone _I_ love.

"I hope I see you soon, Mama. But just in case, I wanted to tell you… I love you."

Shea sat at the grave for a few moments longer. She couldn't linger too long, but she would leave soon. She knew where she wanted to do it, and it wasn't here, surrounded by the dead. She wanted to leave the world where she had felt the most alive.

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Gabe's supervisor watched in horror as he drank the contents of the bag. Grasping for something behind her, anything to keep her from collapsing, she finally turned and fled the room. Gabe could hear her gasping for someone to call security. The bag drained, Gabe tossed it into the sink with the others. He knew he had to find somewhere fast, before the pain hit. He was descending the stairs when the first pain hit. Fire ripped through his belly and he hit his knees.

Gabe grasped for the door and opened it. He stuck his head out, trying to see if anyone was around. There wasn't anyone to be seen. Gabe staggered to his feet and stepped inside. He was in the intensive care unit. Rather ironic, he thought, considering he was dying.

He managed to make it to a door and open it, finding a storage area. He shut the door and fell, writhing on the floor in agony. He felt like his organs were ripping apart. His muscles screamed as if he'd strained every one of them in his body. The entire process probably only lasted a few minutes, but they felt like eternity as he struggled to remain conscious. Finally, the pain crested and then subsided, and Gabe lay on the floor, soaked in his own sweat.

He could feel the changes in his body already. The strength was there, he knew it. Although he was exhausted, and only wanted to sleep, he forced himself to get up. If he slept, he would wake a human, because Shea would be gone. Gabe slowly made his was out of the room, and was moving down the hall when he heard footsteps. He ducked into the nearest room and kept quiet.

Gabe had known what he would need to do next, and it was something he was afraid he wouldn't be able to do. If he found Shea as a half-vampire, she'd be only more determined to go through with it. He needed to feed, and he needed to feed quickly. He still had to find her.

He couldn't have known that it would be this easy.

In the bed before him lay the man whom he'd been told about. The man who butchered innocent women and gotten off on a technicality. The man, who was currently recovering from the extensive exploratory surgery he'd undergone, then had internal bleeding taken care off. Ironically, it seemed that Jack's assistance had saved the bastard's life.

Nothing would save him this time.

Gabriel remembered what Shea had said, about only feeding off humans who fed off of their own kind, off of the pain they inflicted on others. It didn't take much for him to cross the room and pull the man up by his hair.

The man gasped and awakened, looking at Gabe with eyes full of hatred. Malice turned to fear as Gabe's face contorted. He never even had the chance to scream as Gabe's fangs sank into the flesh of his throat.

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Shea finally managed to make herself leave her mother's grave. She returned to the night sky, flying back in the direction she'd come from. She reached her destination with time to spare before daylight, so she started to look around.

Shea went down the cliff to the charred remains of the fallen mansion. She stepped through ruins, remembering where everything had once been. The old ballroom was destroyed, but she found pieces of the old chandelier sticking up amongst the ruins.

The water had taken much of the house away, as the destroyed timbers were no longer any match. Shea went back up the cliffs and along them, until she sat down at the edge of one.

Below her, a chasm was all that remained of the cave. This is where she should have truly ended it, years ago. Beneath her was the wall that she'd killed David on, thinking she was gaining her freedom, but instead finding a prison of a new kind. It was the cave where Gabe's parents had become vampires, and where his uncle and the Frogs had truly become vampire hunters. There was nothing left to show it had ever been there, nothing left to show any of it had ever happen.

Just as there would be nothing left of her.

Shea sat down and faced the east, waiting for the sun to rise.

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As Gabriel drained the man of his blood, the surge of power he felt was incredible. Monitors beeped and alarms sounded, but this was one monster that would never prey on innocent people again. Gabe could hear the doctors and nurses running in his directions, but with a burst of speed like no human could know he flew out of the room and the hospital. The doctors and nurses were started by a strong breeze, but the oddity was quickly forgotten as they tried to save the man.

Gabe flew onto the rooftop of a skyscraper and gazed at the city below. He had to find Shea, and fast. Daylight would come within the hour. _Shea! Where are you?_ His mind screamed. Then, suddenly, he knew. Perhaps Shea had unwittingly called him, unknowing that he could now hear the call. Perhaps he just knew because he was now her protector. Or perhaps, Gabe knew it all along in his heart. In either case, he took to the air.

Shea sat on cliff as a peculiar feeling washed over her. It felt almost like being pulled. She tried to tell herself that it was just her fear. However, she couldn't deny it when she felt a presence behind her.

Slowly, Shea turned and faced Gabriel. Instantly, she knew he wasn't human anymore. "Oh, God, Gabriel!" Shea cried. "What have you done?"

"I stopped straddling two worlds," Gabe replied matter-of-factly. Shea shook her head frantically. "No! I didn't want this for you! You won't stop me. At the very least, you'll be human again," Shea told him. Gabe shook his head. "No, Shea. I won't. I won't be human ever again."

Shea's eyes widened in horror. "No. Oh, please, no, please say you're lying…"

Gabriel strode to her and pulled her into his arms. "I told you I wouldn't let you go," he said with a soft smile.

Shea pulled away. "You don't know what you've done! You can't understand the emptiness, the loneliness… You can't undo this now!"

Gabe took a step forward and faced her until they were almost nose-to-nose. "You weren't lonely when you were with me. We both were without each other. We can be together. This is how."

Shea was crying now. "What about your family? What about children? You've thrown all of that away!" Shea sobbed.

"Why? It's not like my family doesn't know about vampires. They'll accept it eventually. My sister will have kids someday, and I think the kid I can give back is the best kind of all," he replied.

Shea still cried, and Gabe began to panic. The first rays of pink were beginning to appear on the horizon. "Shea, listen to me. I love you. We will work this out, but we have to get out of here now, or we'll both be dead. Don't do this. Don't do this now, not when we can finally be together. _Please, Shea!"_

The urgency in Gabe's voice was obvious. Shea rose to her feet, and they both flew off, trying to outrace the sun. Gabe could actually feel the first rays of the sun starting to hit him. They were still weak, but they stung. Time was running out. Shea led him down amongst the buildings. They took a risk of being seen, but the structures offered additional protection against the sun. Finally, as the sun began to crest, they darted into an old building.

"Why, Gabriel? Why would you do something like this?" Shea asked.

"Because we're supposed to be together," Gabe replied.

Shea looked at him for another moment. That was true; she knew it beyond any doubt. They were supposed to be together. She couldn't do anything now about what Gabe had done. She wasn't sure she wanted to. They had so many things to discuss, to work out, to deal with now.

But now, they had eternity.

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**EPILOUGE**

Shea had been wrong.

Granted, she had been right about living between two worlds. Gabriel would have never survived the many attempts at revenge they'd suffered.

David and his friends, Max's failed attempt at a family, hadn't been alone in their bloodlust. Other vampires existed out there, butchers and slaughterers. There were vampires who sucked entire communities dry. Vampires who left nothing but death in the wake of their gluttonous rampages.

Until they attracted the attention of the head vampire and her protector.

Gabriel and Shea were vampire hunters, as his family had (unwillingly) been before them. With their abilities, they could infiltrate and annihilate entire nests in days. By now, their kills number into the hundreds if not thousands.

They hadn't expected there could be so many. After all, it's hard enough for a single vampire to hide, much less thousands. Perhaps humans just didn't _want_ to see. Regardless, Gabe and Shea found them.

Shea also had finally found a family. Although it was necessary to take extreme precautions, she and Gabe were frequently present with the family. It was tonight that all of them were gathered again.

Michael and Star were in the floor, playing with their grandchildren. Gabe's grandmother, Lucy, sat talking with Sam, whose own children were teenagers now. The Frogs had joined them, and their children were almost exactly like them. Shea hadn't had to terrorize any of them yet, however, so it seemed they may have inherited their mothers' common sense.

Lucy and Jack sat on the sofa, having earned a much-needed break from their offspring. Lucy had become an artist, and quite in demand statewide.

Gabe and Shea had snuck in under the cover of darkness. They were always careful not to lead any others to their family. So far, they had been successful. The Frog offspring constantly tried to convince them to take them along, but had yet to (nor would they ever) succeed.

Gabriel and Shea realized that they had centuries waiting before them, and that they might not always have their family. However, they had decided that each other would always be enough, until the end of time. The day could come where they would need to walk away from this, for the protection of the humans they loved. If and when it did, they would still survive.

Shea had a family now, and Gabe had kept his. They both had a purpose. And finally, so many years, they had each other.

They were right where they belonged.

**THE END**

_**Thank You for Reading "The Lost Girls"**_

_**AN: **__This is the conclusion of "The Lost Girls." I'm sorry to see the series end. I'm grateful to God for His blessings and grace. A very special thanks has to go first and foremost to Ghostwriter. Your support and enthusiasm is the reason this series exists._

_Also, thank you to Kaya Nah and SandraSmit19 for your reviews._

_Finally, thank you to all the readers and I hope you enjoyed Gabriel and Shea's story._


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